The Toronto Raptors overtime have been regarded as one of the more successful franchises in the NBA. From making multiple consecutive playoff appearances to winning an NBA championship in 2019, the Raptors have emerged as a top franchise and are only going to get better in years to come. Their drafting skills and team development have all been critical contributions to this team as players such as Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet have both drastically improved over the years. This team knows what their doing and have continued to get better over the years. However, in the 2012-13 NBA season, the Raptors had a chance to elevate their roster and speed up their rebuild by trading for James Harden when he was known as the sixth man of the year with a lot of potential.
During this time, the Oklahoma City Thunder had to choose between Serge Ibaka and James Harden as they were unable to keep both of them. This was due to both players wanting big contracts as they both deserved it at the time. As history shows, the Thunder decided to keep Serge Ibaka as he was averaging a steller three blocks a game, which was truly historical. At the time, this wasn’t the worst decision as Ibaka was regarded as one of the best defenders in the NBA while also understanding his role. If the Thunder kept Harden, their chances of winning a championship would have been elevated; however, the Thunder would be extremely crowded and would have too much talent to work with, which isn’t always the best-case scenario.
A recent example of this was the Boston Celtics in the 2018-19 season, where they managed to under-perform and plummet due to having too much talent and not knowing what to do with it. On paper, the Celtics arguably had the best team in the Eastern Conference, yet when it came to on-court chemistry, it was lacklustre. Similarly, the Thunder would have potentially been in the same situation only; their big three would all end up winning their own individual MVP awards. Although it would have been interesting to see what the Thunder could have been with the big three of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden, I believe that this trio would have been short-lived due to the simple fact that there is only one basketball to work with instead of three.
The Thunder organization realized this and, as a result, chose Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to lead the charge and traded away James Harden. The fact is, James Harden is way too talented to come off the bench and instead needed a place where he can be the primary option while also leading his team to the playoffs. In real life, the Thunder traded away James Harden, Daequan Cook, Cole Aldrich and Lazar Hayward, in exchange for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, two first-round picks (which became Steven Adams in 2013 and Mitch McGary in 2014). Although the Thunder did receive Steven Adams (which was quite lucky), the Thunder lost this trade by a mile and probably scratched their head every time they look at this trade. However, the Thunder believe it or not we’re not the biggest losers in this situation which is unbelievable. The Toronto Raptors were in the mix of teams that were interested in trading for James Harden and were even given an offer that the Raptors refused.
When the Thunder were looking to trade away, James Harden, the position that they needed to fill was, the starting center. With all the teams interested in James Harden at the time, the Toronto Raptors had the best starting center with Jonas Valanciunas. As a result, the Thunder offered James Harden in exchange for Jose Calderon, Jonas Valanciunas, and Terrence Ross, who at the time was looking like an excellent piece for the Raptors future. Toronto quickly declined this trade and was trying to figure out a way to bring Harden on the team but failed miserably. As history shows, the Houston Rockets swooped in and quickly took James Harden away while crushing the Raptors hopes and dreams. If the Raptors accepted that trade, the entire NBA would have transformed while also keeping both conferences fairly even with James Harden being in the Eastern Conference. However, what would have happened if the Toronto Raptors pulled the trigger and accepted this trade?
James Harden today is regarded as one of the best players in the NBA and in history. His incredible three-point ability, playmaking, and shot-creation elevated Harden’s game immensely as he quickly developed into a superstar. The moment he was traded, Harden averaged 25 points and was named as an all-star, which was a slap in the face to the Thunder organization by not believing in him. This was definitely a revenge situation for Harden as he wanted to show the Thunder why he felt that he deserved his big contract instead of taking a pay-cut. Harden would have done the same with the Toronto Raptors as he would have been potentially playing with a starting five of Kyle Lowry, James Harden, Demar DeRozan, Rudy Gay, and Andrea Bargnani. Although the frontcourt is a liability on defence, the offence of Harden and DeRozen while also having the playmaking of Kyle Lowry would have sufficed. The trio of Lowry, Harden, and DeRozen would be the future of this team and would have worked out, in my opinion. With the playmaking and three-point ability of Kyle Lowry and the elite mid-range shooting and athleticism of Demar DeRozen, this team would have had all kinds of offensive weapons in their arsenal that other teams would have struggled to defend. Even though this Raptors team would suffer defensively, their offence would outshine all their flaws as they would potentially be top five in offence.
The best part about this trade is, the Raptors would have been just as good if not better with this new-look team. Even though every season this team would struggle to find a proper big man, I believe the trio of Harden, DeRozen, and Lowry would have lasted and worked out. The Raptors were always a good team during the last seven years; however, everyone knew that Demar DeRozen is not the first option to a championship team and is instead a sidekick to a star. In this case, the Raptors would have a superstar in James Harden, which means that DeRozen would flourish in his new role and would most likely average similar numbers to when he was the first option. With the Raptors most likely making playoffs every season and potentially having the best record for numerous seasons, I believe that their drafting skills would have remained the same. This means that Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Norman Powell, Chris Boucher, Terrence Davis, and OG Anunoby would have most likely been drafted by the Raptors considering that all of these players were either drafted late in the first round or were undrafted rookies.
The idea of having a big three while also drafting and developing incredibly well would have made the Raptors arguably the best team in the Eastern Conference. If everything else in the NBA remained on course, this team would have won a championship. Even though the Raptors would have most likely lacked a center throughout the entirety of there potential dynasty, NBA teams such as the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers have proven that organizations do not need a star center to win an NBA championship.
Cleveland would have most likely defeated the Raptors every season; however, if everything else remained the same, I believe that the Raptors would have still been crowned as the NBA champions in 2019 with this new roster.
In the end, the Raptors made a massive mistake in not drafting James Harden for many reasons. If the Raptors accepted that trade offer, Demar DeRozen would have most likely stayed in Toronto instead of getting traded away. The reason why DeRozen was traded, to begin with, was due to him not fulfilling the expectation of leading his team to the finals. Although he was close in 2016, the Raptors had no choice but to trade him away to get a superstar in return like Kawhi Leonard. In this fantasy world, Derozen would have been merely a second option behind James Harden and would have been the perfect complement to Harden with his mid-range shot and alley-oop tendencies. The Raptors would have been able to keep Derozen and been successful with him if they accepted that trade offer, in my opinion. Although the Raptors would have been able to also get Kawhi Leonard, I don’t see that happening in this case due to the assumption that this Raptors trio would strive with DeRozen as the second option. We all know what James Harden can do, which is why the pressure would be more on DeRozen if he can sustain the same level of production as a second option.
Although the Raptors may have made a mistake in the past, they were able to correct it by bringing in Kawhi Leonard and winning an NBA championship. It would have been interesting to see what the Raptors would have been in this fantasy world; however, as history shows, the Raptors managed to be victories either way. Even though this trade would have accelerated the Raptors rebuild, it still doesn’t change the fact that this team would have been successful with or without James Harden due to how incredible this team has been able to draft and develop young talent while also making impactful trades.
