Trade the Beard? Thoughts on the James Harden Situation

Late Saturday evening, the Oklahoma City Thunder sent shockwaves through the league, dealing Sixth Man of the Year, James Harden, to Houston for a pack of skittles and the new Taylor Swift CD. Ok, not really. But based off of the reaction around the league, you'd think that was the case.

In reality, the thunder swapped Harden for sharp shooter Kevin Martin, future stud Jeremy Lamb, and some draft picks. So the question is, who won the trade? The easy answer: Houston. They pick up a guy that may very well be on the brink of super-stardom.  A guy that was the third wheel of a deadly trio for the West Conference champs just a year ago. A guy with, easily, the best beard in the entire league.

All of this is true of Harden, but on the other hand, prior to Wednesday night, Harden had never started in an NBA game. Plus, the last two occasions we saw him play basketball, the NBA Finals and the Olympics, he looked…unimpressive.

So the question is, who is James Harden? Or rather, which James Harden did the Houston Rockets get? The almost superstar of the 2012 regular season, or the disappointing Harden of the NBA Finals? Either way, they get Harden's beard, which is also on the brink of stardom.