DutchJazzer
Banned
* The Thunder own a number of interesting picks over the next two years and there are a number of believable scenarios here. In chronological order:
-12th pick in 2013 (from the Raptors via Houston [Harden trade], maybe swapping places in the late lottery is something to negotiate)
-29th pick in 2013 (their own)
-32nd pick in 2013 (from the Bobcats via Houston [Harden trade])
-Mavericks 1st rounder (top-20 protected through 2017, unprotected in 2018)
-Their own pick next year and beyond (this would likely be protected)
There are likely more that I don't know about (or aren't really worth mentioning)
** Presti completely out-thought himself here. Ibaka is important and they already had Westbrook and Durant under contract. So where would the money come from to pay Harden? PERKINS! They could've traded him. They could've amnestied him. They had an entire offseason, the '12-'13 season, and half of the next season to figure it out and they got jumpy. That they either over-valued Perkins or were scared they couldn't get rid of him and weren't willing to amnesty him might have cost them a championship at the end of the day. You never trade a dollar for three quarters unless you HAVE to, and the Thunder didn't. Even if Harden still puts them a little over the LT down the road, that's probably the cost of a championship anyway, besides all of the revenue that being a perennial contender that people want to watch brings.
trading harden might have cost them the championship this year or the next.(barring major injuries ofcouerse eg westbrooks ligament)