Daily Thunder.com

Berry Tramel: “James Harden boarded an airplane Sunday morning, bound for Houston. He was “devastated,” said someone who knows the Bearded One. Harden and his family both. Said Harden was stunned that the Thunder actually traded him to the Rockets. He didn’t believe the Thunder would do it. But Sam Presti told him. Presti’s lips now are sealed, but sources from both parties said that the Thunder appealed one final time to Harden on Friday. Upped its offer to $53 million over four years but told Harden if he didn’t take it, he would be traded to Houston. Presti didn’t use that as a warning. He used it as a plea. He desperately wanted to keep Harden, but this was the last best offer. And the Thunder gave Harden an hour to accept.”

Ball Don’t Lie’s Thunder preview: “The too-quick end to Oklahoma City’s season last year was disappointing, even if it lasted five games into the NBA Finals. Three of the four losses to the Heat came in close games, however, and the Thunder boast the sort of top-heavy rotation parts that postseasons are made to utilize. Despite our worries about Brooks, he has managed to push this team gradually each year, and if the season-to-season histories of past champions in Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago and Miami are any indication, the Thunder could cash in for good in 2012-13. The Lakers are sturdier, to say the absolute least, and the Heat aren’t going anywhere. They still have to beat the Thunder four times in seven potential tries, though. That’s still a significant task.” Keep Reading…

J.A. Adande of ESPN.com on the move for OKC: “Bad move. It’s not that Harden is the critical element to the Thunder’s success. (In their only NBA Finals victory against the Heat, he scored just five points.) But the familiarity this team had built was a big part of its identity. They were comfortable. They knew exactly what this group could do. Now they enter the unknown — and that includes the career of the promising Jeremy Lamb. Potential means you haven’t done anything.”

Ben Golliver of SI.com: “The Thunder can’t take home an “A” in moving Harden. He’s too good as a player and he was too perfect as a fit. The “A” play for Presti was to convince Bennett to step up and swallow the tax bills. But he earns his “B+” for getting the exact package you would expect him to acquire: a large expiring contract, capable players to fill the hole he created, and draft picks that offer future flexibility. Moving from Harden to Martin is a noticeable downgrade, but it’s not exactly falling off a cliff. Martin has been aching to play for a winner, can draw fouls like nobody’s business, and is a career 37.7 percent three-point shooter. That can work well. Lamb, meanwhile, is all upside. The Thunder will have the luxury of developing him slowly and incubating him in a winning culture. Their track record on getting the most of young players is pretty solid, to say the least.” Keep Reading…