$4m thwarted NBA’s greatest modern dynasty from ending Steph Curry’s Warriors and LeBron James’ Cavaliers and winning ‘two titles’
The Oklahoma City Thunder had a dynasty in the palm of their hands and let it slip through their fingers.
Once upon a time, the Thunder boasted three veritable Hall of Famers in Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of OKC's 'Big Three' was that it formed through the draft -- somewhat of a rarity in an era of super-teams and All-Stars routinely linking up with All-Stars.
7ft scoring phenom Durant was drafted second overall in 2007. Mr. Triple Double himself -- Westbrook -- joined a year later with the fourth overall pick.
Harden was selected at No. 3 in 2009.
"They set the blueprint," Harden recently said of joining Westbrook and Durant. "When I got there, they already had the blueprint of how to work, how to be a professional in this league.
READ MORE NBA
"All I did was just fall right in line. ... Every single day you work your butt off, you listen to the coaches and you figure out how to play well every single night.
"Those three years really helped me in my NBA career because it just gave me a ground base to where I can go off of.
That hungry young Thunder team had all the hallmarks of a championship-winning team. They were Golden State before Golden State, and seemed destined to dominate The Association for the next decade plus.
It certainly looked that way early on.
OKC exploded on the scene and went to the Western Conference Finals in 2011 before a trip to the NBA Finals in 2012.
They were soundly beaten in the 2012 Finals by Miami's savvy veteran trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but nonetheless the Thunder appeared poised to return to the championship series over subsequent years.
But in just a matter of months, Oklahoma's very own version of The Beatles had gone their separate ways.
2012 Sixth Man of the Year Harden, who had started just seven games through his three seasons with Durant and Westbrook, was traded to the Houston Rockets.
The reason? Harden wanted a bigger role and an even bigger contract, and OKC were committed to extending Serge Ibaka instead.
The Rockets offered Harden over $25 million more than the Thunder and an additional year on his deal, sweetening the deal that saw 'The Beard' land in H-Town.
According to , the Thunder's offer was $4.5 million under the deal Harden was seeking, and received, from the Rockets.
“My rookie year, we’re the 8th seed. We played the Lakers, scared them for sure. Had OKC cracking and they won the championship," Harden went on.
"My second year, we in the Western Conference Finals against Dallas. They win the championship. My 3rd year, we in the Finals against the Heat. That was Bron’s first ring. They win a championship."
"My fourth year, it's on. Summertime, traded. A couple days before the first game. Two chips at least at the minimum... It was over four million dollars."
Harden went on to win the MVP award after the trade. He established himself as one of the best guards and greatest scorers the league has ever seen.
Westbrook and Durant also became MVPs, winning 60 games together in the season after Harden's departure.
OKC remained perennial contenders out West, coming close to winning a championship in 2016 before falling to the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals after blowing a 3-1 lead.
That result caused a butterfly effect that saw Durant join Golden State the season after, where he won two titles and two Finals MVPs in 2017 and 2018.
Westbrook soldiered on for OKC, posting triple-double after triple-double before reuniting with Harden in Houston in 2019.
However, Harden and Russell never reached the NBA Finals again after 2012 with the Thunder.
Hindsight's 20/20, but it's not outlandish to suggest that Thunder team, with more development and time together, could have nipped the Warriors' dynasty in the bud and found a way to overcome LeBron's Cavaliers.
They had already tested King James' Heatles in their early 20s, and proved they could go toe to toe with the Warriors without Harden.
Figuring out Harden's role in their offense and paying him what he was worth would have been no easy feat, but had they managed it they could have had a truly great dynasty on their hands.
That didn't happen, of course, and what the Thunder could have -- and perhaps should have been -- remains a hypothetical.
While undoubtedly a sore point for the Thunder, it's not something that's likely to keep the organization up at night.
They eventually moved on from the 'Big Three' era, putting together one of the most exciting rosters in all of basketball.
They have a new MVP-calibre player in the form of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who's supplemented by emerging stars like Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams.
Read More on talkSPORT
The Thunder's young core were the West's No. 1 seed last season and sit second after 16 games this campaign.
The future in Oklahoma looks incredibly bright, and the Durant-Westbrook-Harden days are nothing more than a distant memory.