When the Thunder traded James Harden almost four years ago, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Not all of it was competitive emotion, thinking Sam Presti had been hoodwinked.
From Shattuck to Spiro, much of the angst was emotional.
Oklahomans, new to this NBA game, felt like they were losing a member of the family.
Harden had played 263 games with the Thunder; 43 of them in the postseason.
Serge Ibaka played 613 games with the Thunder; 89 of them in the playoffs.
So even though the stunning United Nations trade Thursday night — Ibaka to Orlando for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and the just-drafted Domantas Sabonis — seems like a good deal for the Thunder, breaking up is hard to do.