GUEST BLOG POST: Why the Oklahoma City Thunder Need to Re-sign James Harden

This is the first post by 13-year old guest blogger Emily Gruver.  Emily is an aspiring sports journalist from Pennsylvania who writes for a few different blogs.  I'm happy to include her work here on Georgia Sports Craze and hopefully help to further her career.  You can follow Emily on Twitter @emily_gruver

There aren't many players who are as talented at their position as James Harden.

A few days ago, a deal went down that caused some Oklahoma City Thunder fans to become concerned, and even cringe a little.  It was the re-signing of power forward Serge Ibaka to a 4-year, $48 million contract extension. The Thunder now have to be careful about their money moving forward.

Clearly, Serge Ibaka can be a phenomenal player, and he tallied up some pretty good numbers last season, averaging 9.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game. Even with those numbers, it's clear he can improve and get much better from here on out, especially since he's only 22 years old.



But where does that leave the Thunder's other talented defensive player and Sixth Man of the Year, James Harden?

Harden, who is also only 22 years old, can be an exciting player to watch. Last season, Harden averaged 16.8 points and 3.7 assists per game, and when you look around the league, and there aren't many shooting guards coming off the bench that are as that impressive.

He is a guy that you can almost always count on and has a very bright future ahead of him. He gives you quick buckets off the bench and is a solid defender as well. The Thunder would not want to lose a player of his caliber. James Harden brings more to a team then scoring in double-digits. He brings hard work, determination, and heart.

The Thunder can't afford to lose a player like Harden, who is a crucial piece of the team chemistry.  If they let  this All-Star get away, than it could be a huge mistake. They will cripple their team, and do some damage to a  franchise that is just beginning to rebuild.


Oklahoma City is a team with extremely young players with many more great seasons to come  If you look from top to bottom at their roster, the average age of their team is only 24 years old. With players that include Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, the Thunder should continue to be a force in the Western Conference. But if this team wants to become even better, and win a championship, they need one of their key pieces, James Harden.

This is a team with an extremely bright future, and one day could be talked about as a "dynasty team". The Thunder are a young, talented team with fire and potential.  James Harden needs to be re-signed to a long-term extension for this team to keep getting better, every step of the way.