# @duranthighlights on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DcXoq9wFbMX
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/69518062-duranthighlights-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/adb753b1b2.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-08-23T04:31:39.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Kevin Durant | KD (@duranthighlights) — https://gondola.cc/duranthighlights

## Caption

The James Harden trade will forever be one of the biggest “WHAT IFs” in NBA history 😭💔 OKC really had Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook AND James Harden all on the same roster before any of them had even reached their true primes… and somehow that core only got ONE trip to the NBA Finals together.

Think about how ridiculous that is. KD was 23, Westbrook was 23 and Harden was only 22 when they reached the 2012 NBA Finals. They had three future MVPs developing at the SAME TIME. KD eventually became one of the greatest scorers ever, Russ became an MVP and walking triple-double, and Harden went to Houston and immediately transformed from Sixth Man of the Year into one of the most unstoppable offensive players of his generation. 🤯

And that’s what makes the trade hurt even more. Harden wasn’t some aging star they moved on from — OKC traded him before the basketball world even got to see what he could become as a featured player. Houston gave him the keys and he exploded into a superstar almost immediately. Years later, all three members of that Thunder trio would have an MVP trophy.

Imagine if OKC found a way to keep them together. KD entering his prime as the 1 scoring option, Russ attacking the rim like a maniac, Harden developing into an elite scorer/playmaker, with all three growing together after already experiencing an NBA Finals run. 😭🔥

Would they have won multiple championships? We’ll never know. But having three future MVPs under 24 years old and breaking them up before seeing their ceiling has to be one of the most painful decisions in NBA history.

The NBA really could’ve had a KD-Russ-Harden dynasty in Oklahoma City. 💔⚡️

#kevindurant #jamesharden #russellwestbrook #okcthunder #oklahomacitythunder 

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## Tags

oklahomacitythunder, russellwestbrook, kevindurant, jamesharden, okcthunder

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