Rumor: Thunder traded James Harden because he partied too much during 2012 NBA Finals

is it in team policies that players can't party? not like he missed practice in order to party

 

This is dumb. The real reason is the NBA change the cap rules and it became really bad to go into the luxury tax.

If they signed Harden they'd go into the luxury tax or have to let someone like ibaka go.

Maybe there was concern over his partying but that wasn't the reason for the trade

 

Hah yeah ok, whatever makes you feel better OKC. Can't wait till Durant leave them high and dry.

 

My sources are telling me the real reason he was traded was because of excessive A-1 sauce consumption during the Finals.

 

SAUCES!!

 

Harden traded, according to a single sauce

 

It was Westbrook not Harden.

Spoiler

 

A-1, A-2, A-3.

Multiple sauces.

 

It was his lack of effort during the whole series. Not just 1 play.

 

It was on Lin and Parsons. Shocked that we progressed past the first round after dumping the losers?

 

Man the pitchforks are out for James Harden, its reallystarting to feel like an intentional media tear down. As much as I want to get a new coach and I understand J.B getting us deep into the playoffs would be fools gold I'm hoping for the improbable.

 

and when KD leaves this off-season,

"Thunder let KD walk because he was partying all night with Harden during 2012 finals"

 

Lin and Parsons played poorly at times and made some stupid plays. TJones' mistakes were due to lack of effort. In my opinion that is inexcusable...especially in the playoffs.

 

thunder doing anything to keep kd

 

This -

Seems like an "I told you so...see why we got rid of Hard-Party-en?".

 

Great source

So, Thundies waited until Harden turned down their final offer, pretty good $$$ at that, before trading him due to SoBeach partying. Makes total sense. Right.

 

Total trash story.

The Thunder could have paid Harden $60 mil over 4 years and gone over the cap just a tiny bit (and had less flexibility with their roster), but they would have had Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka, and Harden on long deals. But they were cheap, cause they have a cheap ownership group that doesn't deserve an NBA franchise. They negotiated with Harden/agent, then they offered him $54 mil over 4 years (and he knew someone else would give him $80 over 5 years)...and they gave him one hour to decide on the $54/4 years. He knew the bigger deal was there, and he didn't appreciate the one-hour to decide ultimatum.

I'd like to see how many players in the NBA at age 22/23, with 3 years in, would take a deal that leaves $26 mil on the table. Probably none. Unfortunately for OKC the trade was a complete facking disaster. You never know at the time what will happen, but what happened eventually is that they basically got Steven Adams for Harden. Meanwhile Harden is first team all NBA shooting guard, 2nd in MVP voting, Houston in conference finals, while OKC misses the playoffs. OKC can cry about all their injuries since Harden left, but every team has them...accept the defeat and move on. (They could have weathered injuries better if they had paid Harden.) It was a dumb trade, made just to save money cause the ownership was cheap, and it didn't work out.

 

OKC is feeling the heat.

They must have some sort of idea that KD is atleast contemplating Houston. They know how good of friends Harden and Durant are. They also know there one of the only teams if not they only team that KD can sign with another 1st team all NBA player and still sign a 3rd max contract guy.

Ohh not to mention OKC is the stupid team that traded Harden at that.

I'm telling you OKC fan base would never let this go if the player they traded 4 years ago is the team KD ends up going too.

I mean what other reason would OKC leak this out 4 years later and not right after the trade? OKC feeling the heat they know we're KD heart is.

 

big market or small market is irrelevant

why do fans think a team is cheap if they don't want to pay the tax, that has nothing to do with being cheap.

every team should have to pay the same amount of money to keep the comp more even