Few NBA trades have sparked as much debate as the Oklahoma City Thunder’s decision to trade James Harden to the Houston Rockets in October 2012. At the time, Harden had just won Sixth Man of the Year and was coming off an NBA Finals appearance alongside Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka. The Thunder, however, chose financial flexibility over retaining their young core. Many still wonder if the Thunder lost the greatest young core in NBA history, as that trio could have easily defined an entire era of basketball dominance.

More than a decade later, fans still wonder: was this the biggest mistake in modern NBA history, or was it an unavoidable decision given the circumstances? Let’s break it down with facts, context, and numbers.

Why Did The Oklahoma City Thunder Trade James

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