Rockets Nearly Missed Out on James Harden Trade

James Harden almost didn't join the Houston Rockets in 2012.

Jeremy Brener | Sep 9, 2024

Dec 31, 2019; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) reacts after a foul call against the Denver Nuggets during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

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Houston Rockets

James Harden defined the Houston Rockets throughout the 2010's. However, the NBA was close to never seeing that era come to light.

HoopsHype writer Mark Deeks took a trip down memory lane and reminisced on trades that nearly happened, including a 2012 deal that would have sent Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Washington Wizards.

"A few weeks after his trade to the Houston Rockets for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, and the draft picks that eventually became Steven Adams, Alex Abrines and Mitch McGary, Michael Lee of the Washington Post announced that the Oklahoma City Thunder had had a different trade offer for James Harden on the table. Reportedly, they had made an offer to the Washington Wizards for a combination of then-rookie Bradley Beal and then-second year forward Chris Singleton, one the Wizards turned down," Deeks wrote.

Rockets fans are likely happy that this trade never happened, because it would have put Houston on a completely different path. The aggressive Rockets likely would have eventually traded for a potential star, but he probably wouldn't have had the same impact Harden had in Houston.

As for the Wizards, they may have had something with the backcourt of Harden and John Wall, an experiment the Rockets tried when it was too late in 2020. Had Wall been younger and healthier next to Harden, they could have challenged some of the best backcourts in the league.

In the Thunder's case, they probably wish the trade did go through. OKC didn't get a strong return package for Harden, but if they had Beal alongside Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, they may have made another Finals appearance, and possibly even a championship.

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Published Sep 9, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.