ESPN's Kendrick Perkins Explains How Rockets Nabbed James Harden from Thunder in 2012

In 2012, the Houston Rockets pulled off essentially one of the most lopsided trades of the decade. As a matter of fact, it may have been one of the most one-sided trades in NBA history.

So much that it became a career-defining deal for then General Manager Daryl Morey, as he nabbed James Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunder, following a bit of a collapse in the NBA Finals against the LeBron James-led Miami Heat (also known as the Heatles).

Harden operated as Oklahoma City's Sixth Man, although he was part of the closing lineup on a nightly basis. He was well recognized, even though he was largely in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook's shadow with the Thunder.

To the point that he even made the Olympic team, despite not being an All-Star at that point in his career.

The Rockets took a gamble, trading Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, and three future first-round picks, which ironically turned into Steven Adams, along with Mitch McGary and Alex Abrines.

Harden instantly landed an $80 million deal with the Rockets, which was the least surprising aspect of the deal, as Thunder executive Sam Presti decided against giving Harden a max deal, opting to instead lock up Serge Ibaka long-term.

And Presti ultimately thought Martin would be able to replace Harden's production off the bench.

Which was a bad calculus, as we now know it.

But according to ESPN's Kendrick Perkins, Oklahoma City's starting center at the time, the trade may have had alot to do with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade urging Harden to get his own team.

Perkins took to the Road Trippin Show to explain how it all went down.

"KD came back, they were all at the Olympics. They had just won gold. James was there, KD was there, Russ was there.

And we went into training camp and KD was like 'Bro, we gonna lose James.'

And I'm like 'What you mean?'

He was like 'Bron, D. Wade, all of them was telling him that he needs his own team. And then all of a sudden, the contract negotiations started. I went to holla at James like what's up?

He was like 'I want the max. I want to be a franchise guy.'

Harden became the second-best player in the history of the Rockets' franchise, winning MVP in 2017-18 and becoming a finalist for the award in four other years with the Rockets. Harden also won the scoring title in three consecutive seasons in Houston, in addition to leading the Rockets to at least 50 wins in five of his final seven seasons with the Rockets.