Oklahoma City Thunder

Sorry Westbrook; Durant nearly teamed up with different All-Star point guard

Published Feb. 16, 2016 12:10 p.m. ET

foxsports

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are the most dominant duo in the NBA right now, and the mere fact that they both play for the Oklahoma City Thunder sometimes feels a bit inconceivable. But what if they never became teammates? It's a fascinating hypothetical that nearly came true, once upon a time (via CBS Sports).

In the summer of 2007, as the SuperSonics were living out their days in Seattle, Celtics GM Danny Ainge had a hunch and followed through on it. The Sonics, he had heard, were willing to part with All-Star shooting guard Ray Allen. The price would be high, starting with Boston's No. 5 pick in the draft that year. But the more Ainge heard rumblings from Allen's camp, the more convinced he became that one pillar of an ambitious plan to form a super team was attainable...Here's where it got interesting, and where the fortunes of multiple franchises were inexorably altered. Sonics GM Sam Presti wanted Rajon Rondo in the deal. Ainge flatly refused, knowing the Sonics were under some degree of pressure from Allen's agent, Lon Babby, to trade him. Presti had coveted Rondo since his days in the San Antonio front office under Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford, but Ainge had the leverage. The deal got done without Rondo in it, and Ainge believed he was on his way to lifting the Celtics out of a two-year tailspin and into the NBA Finals.

If Danny Ainge agreed to include Rajon Rondo (the pass-first point guard Boston needed in order to win its most recent championship) in the deal for Ray Allen, what does Oklahoma City look like today? Is Rondo still there? Do the Thunder win a title with him, Durant, Kevin Love and Serge Ibaka? (Assuming Oklahoma City selected Love, who went fifth, that foursome would be perfect.)

Even more significant, what happens to James Harden? Is he still in OKC? Where does Dwight Howard end up if the Houston Rockets can't lure him in with Harden? And what about Westbrook?! Do the Thunder say "screw it" and work with a Westbrook-Rondo backcourt, or does another team land the best player from the 2008 draft?

The NBA is filled with mind-bending "what-if" scenarios, and this one is as intriguing as any in recent memory.