Revisiting 2012's blockbuster NBA trades: James Harden and Dwight Howard

James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets. (Getty Images)

It’s not everyday that you see a blockbuster trade in the NBA, especially after the new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement).

Last year saw two blockbuster trades in James Harden (Oklahoma City Thunder to Houston Rockets) and Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic to Los Angeles Lakers) switching teams. So let’s take a look at how it fared for everybody involved:

The Beard Trade

Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and Toronto 2013 1st round pick (Steven Adams)

Houston Rockets: James Harden, Cole Aldridge, Daequan Cook and Lazar Hayward

The James Harden trade was probably the best example of how hard it is to stay within the NBA salary cap.

Oklahoma City Thunder, in their bid to stay under the tax line, traded the then-NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Harden, to the Houston Rockets for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb (picked 12th in the 2012 NBA Draft) and a 2013 first round Toronto Raptors pick (who turned out to be Kiwi Steven Adams, 12th overall).

As soon as the trade was made public, The OKC boardroom was heavily criticised for making such a horrible decision and trading a player, who was a key to their Finals run the past season. Funnily enough, there were some front office guys who thought the trade might make the Thunder better.

Fast forward a year, and Harden is probably the best shooting guard in the NBA and the Rockets (after attaining Howard this off-season) look in pristine condition to make a strong playoff run.

On the other side, the Thunder have already lost Kevin Martin (who had a sub-par season) to the Minnesota Timberwolves this off-season, and selected youngster Adams (who still looks pretty raw) with their 12th pick.

The only positive is Lamb, who looked a man among boys in the Orlando Summer League, which the Thunder won comfortably, remaining unbeaten. But he still is a season or two away from realising his full potential.

Clearly, the Rockets won the trade. Who could have thought that we would be favouring the Rockets – over the Thunder – to make it to the 2014 NBA Finals?

A hat-tip to the Daryl Morey and the Rockets. For after years of mediocrity, they decided to tank and then, in a blink of a eye, they got the best two players at their respective positions.

Dwight Howard (R) poses with owner Les Alexander (2L), general manager Daryl Morey (L) and head coach Kevin McHale after being introduced as the newest Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on July 13. (Getty Images)

The D12 Trade

Los Angeles Lakers: Dwight Howard, Chris Duhon, Earl ClarkDenver Nuggets: Andre IguodalaPhiladelphia 76ers: Andrew Bynum, Jason Richardson.Orlando Magic: Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless, Josh McRoberts, Christian Eyenga

The Dwight Howard trade was clearly one the most disappointing trades of all-time; and that is an understatement.

Lakers: The gold and purple brigade got Howard for Andrew Bynum straight up and all we could talk about was a Lakers-Miami Heat/Kobe Bryant-LeBron James final. A season later, Howard is now a Rocket, with the Lakers set to be next season’s lottery team.

Although, a marginal piece in the trade, Earl Clark turned out be pretty decent for the Lakers, but he too also decided to sign with Cleveland Cavaliers this season.

Nuggets: They seemed fairly happy when they got Andre Igoudala in exchange of Arron Affalo and Al Harrington, as they desperately needed some tight perimeter defence and AI was a perfect fit.

They had a great season too, posting 55+ wins and finishing third in a tough Western Conference. The Nuggets also lost only three home games – NBA best. Coach George Karl won Coach of the Year and Masai Ujiri, Denver’s GM, won Executive of the Year.

But with Danillo Gallinari injured, they crashed out to the Stephen Curry led Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. GM Ujiri went to head former team Raptors, Karl was fired and Igoudala decided to sign with the side that bested Denver, who now suddenly they seem like just another team in the West.

76ers: The Sixers got an injured Bynum and Jason Richardson for a young Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless and Igoudala, and everybody in Philly seemed happy.

While Bynum didn’t play a single game that season (he however signed with the Cavs this off-season), Vucevic was racking up double-doubles every night for the Magic, on his way to becoming a legit centre.

Harkless too, the other guy Philly gave up to acquire Bynum, was turning out to be a really good young talent.

Furthermore, after the incident the front office decided to trade All-Startar Jrue Holiday to the New Orleans Pelicans this off-season for Nerlens Noel (#5 pick in 2013 Draft, although he was projected to go #1) and a 2014 1st round pick.

A Holiday-Evan Turner-Harkless-Thaddeus Young-Vucevic line-up would have looked pretty awesome on paper. Too bad they decided to part with their young, up and coming squad.

Magic: The Magic were the “biggest losers” for not accepting the Brooklyn Nets’ offer (Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries and a plethora of picks) and taking up this trade instead.

A season later Rob Hennigan looks like a genius as their replacement for Howard – Vucevic – averaged a double-double last season and looks to be a franchise leader. The other pickup, Harkless is also turning out pretty darn good.

But the best thing about the trade was that it made the Magic a transitional team, one that tanked and one which got them the #2 pick this draft – Victor Oladipo, who looks NBA ready and 100% cert to win Rookie of the Year.

However, that is not all as Orlando will either get New York’s (owned by Denver after the “Melo” trade) or Denver’s 2014 1st round pick, a conditional 2015 1st round pick from the 76ers and a 2017 conditional 1st round pick from Lakers.

It is rather funny how the Magic of all teams, won this four-way tussle.