It has finally happened.
The Philadelphia 76ers have traded superstar guard James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers, ending a saga that took an ugly turn when the 34-year-old branded Sixers GM Daryl Morey a “liar”.
ESPN’s NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news of the trade on Tuesday afternoon.
Wojnarowski reported Philadelphia is acquiring Marcus Morris, Nic Batum, Robert Covington, KJ Martin, multiple draft picks and a pick swap while the Clippers receive Harden, PJ Tucker and Filip Petrusev.
It was later revealed it was a 2028 unprotected first-round pick, two second-round picks and a pick swap being sent by the Clippers while the 76ers would also be receiving an additional first-round pick from a third team.
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Morey was adamant a Harden trade would not be made if it the team did not either get back a “very good player” or something they could “turn into a very good player”.
Those quotes came from Morey himself when speaking to 97.5 The Fanatic in July, with the Sixers GM admitting at the time the team was “attempting” to “honour” Harden’s trade request.
Most important to Philadelphia is that it keeps superstar big man and reigning league MVP Joel Embiid happy.
Embiid created headlines in July too, telling Maverick Carter in an interview that he wants to win a ring “whether it’s in Philly or anywhere else”.
Those last two words, of course, would have sounded alarm bells in Philadelphia.
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Milwaukee kept Giannis Antetokounmpo happy by trading for Damian Lillard and then extending the Greek superstar amid similar comments he made during the offseason.
The goal for the Sixers has always been putting Embiid in a similar position, although Harden’s very public trade demand and criticism of Morey complicated things.
Harden was a no-show initially for Sixers practice before eventually returning to the team’s facility this week and even made an appearance on the bench during Philadelphia’s win over Portland.
The news that Harden is being dealt to the Clippers is hardly unexpected given they had been the clear frontrunners in any deal for the All-Star guard since he first requested a trade in June.
However, the timing is certainly a surprise as Wojnarowski had reported earlier in the week that the Clippers were going to pause their pursuit of Harden.
Speaking on ESPN’s NBA Countdown, Wojnarowski reported that the Clippers had made “their best offer” and knew they were not at risk of being outbid any other rival teams at that point.
“I’m told that with the start of the season now, at least for the foreseeable future, the Clippers are stepping back from these trade talks about James Harden — they are essentially pausing them,” Wojnarowski said.
“They have talked with Philadelphia for months about a trade. They’ve made their best offer for Harden, and they are now going to start their season and see what this team looks like with a healthy Kawhi Leonard, a healthy Paul George.
“Now, the Clippers may revisit this at some point. But they know they’re the only bidder for James Harden. They’re the only team that’s made a serious offer. They don’t want to bid against themselves.
“I think the Sixers have to wonder, ‘Have we already gotten the best offer we’re gonna get for James Harden?’ Especially as the games start to peel off the calendar. And if you’re the Clippers, why offer more when there are fewer and fewer games that James Harden can play for you?”
There wasn’t much of a need for the Sixers to rush anyway with the way young guard Tyrese Maxey had been performing, averaging 30.3 points and 6.3 assists this season.
As for any potential trade targets for Philadelphia as it looks to remain in title contention, the struggling Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls loom as two possible teams to contact.
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The Raptors have started the season 1-3 and after a few years of never really taking the leap towards being a genuine contender, they could consider going in another direction.
The versatile Pascal Siakam was already discussed as a name to watch as he enters the final year of a four-year $136.9 million maximum contract that he signed in 2020.
As for Chicago, any of the team’s core trio of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic could be possibly moved if things continue to go south after a disappointing 2022-23 season.
Meanwhile, the Clippers have well and truly now gone all-in on the Kawhi Leonard and Paul George partnership as they look to finally make the most of this talented roster.
The addition of Harden alongside Russell Westbrook gives the Clippers offensive firepower all across the court and serious depth to keep the team afloat should injuries strike again.
