Rockets GM Daryl Morey had no idea James Harden would become so good

There’s a strong argument to be made that James Harden is one of the five best players in the NBA today.

Back in 2012, the Houston Rockets took a chance on the 23-year-old guard, who at the time was an immensely talented sixth man for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Rockets were prepared to build their team around him, and have since gained plaudits for playing a fairly modest price to acquire a bona fide superstar.

So did Houston general manager Daryl Morey see something in Harden that everyone else was missing? Did they know he was going to become so good?

“People always ask, ‘You traded for him; did you know he was this good?'” Morey said, via Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. “I’m like, ‘F–k no!’ I mean, we thought he was extremely good and better than other teams probably did. Everyone thought that he was on the coattails of Kevin and Russ.”

Harden’s evolution into a superstar has made the Rockets one of the most exciting teams in the league. It left his former Thunder teammates wondering what might have been, too. As it is, it’s the Rockets that are reaping the rewards, somewhat to their surprise.