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The “bearded” one was dealt to the Houston Rockets principally in exchange for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and a hoard of draft picks. Fast forward a year and the trade looks like one of the biggest debacles in the modern age of basketball. With Harden at its core, the Thunder looked certain for multiple championship runs, and today all they have to show for their Harden trade is:
- Jeremy Lamb
- Steven Adams (via Toronto’s 1st-round pick)
- Two more non-lottery draft picks
- A TPE for sign-and trade that involved Kevin Martin
That’s all they got for parting with a player that single-handedly scripted Houston’s season which saw them back in the playoffs. Harden silenced all his critics that doubted his ability to become a franchise player.
Kevin Martin, who was inducted into the Harden role of providing instant offense off the bench, had one of his better seasons. He shot over 40% from beyond the arc and averaged a respectable 14 ppg. However, when push came to shove in the post-season, Martin failed to provide the teeth to the offence in the absence of Westbrook. He was more of a role player rather than a primary baller in Scott Brook’s team.
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Fast forward a year, and with Martin now heading to Minnesota, the Thunder will have to invest their future into developing Jeremy Lamb. When Presti selected Steve Adams, a raw big from New Zealand as their 2013 first-round draft pick, the realisation of the value they got for Harden dawned upon us with even more vigour. To put it in naked obviousness, OKC, in substance, traded James Harden for one year of Kevin Martin, a D-Leaguer whom they love, a prospect who is raw and isn’t ready for the NBA yet, and two shabby draft picks.
A year gone and the Thunder have more questions on the plate than they had a year back. As they bowed out of the Semi-Finals of the Western Conference to the Grizzlies, it was not for a lack of poise but for a lack of talent. The bottom line was for all to see. They missed James Harden. Harden had the ability to become the main facilitator or the scorer whenever he wanted. He had the ability to take the pressure off of Kevin Durant when needed and even supersede him on occasions; a task that the likes of Martin couldn’t and Jeremy Lamb isn’t quite cut out for. With Westbrook going down with injury, the Thunder missed the league’s purest shooting guard.
Unable to pay the luxury tax, the Thunder decided to wave goodbye to one of their biggest players. They chose to pay Perkins and Ibaka rather than Harden. Paying Ibaka will help them in their future endeavours for sure but at what price? Couldn’t they have amnestied Kendrick Perkins? The questions still remain unanswered and the haul they got for trading Harden now looks out right appalling.
With Harden and Howard, Houston finally has lift off. The Rockets can finally dream of achieving what they thought was possible with McGrady, Artest and Yao Ming. That’s how Sam Presti not only lost one of his prime assets but also created a monster in their own backyard, the Western Conference. The repercussions are yet to be realised in its full extent.
