James Harden to the Clippers
Sports Writer Will Lyons gives you a breakdown on the Harden to LA trade. Shipping the disgruntled Guard to his desired location, in his hometown of LA.
The Philadelphia 76ers have traded James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers after a drawn out saga of Harden wanting out of the City of Brotherly Love. The former MVP and 10x All-Star expressed desire to join the Los Angeles Clippers, paired with his antics that led to him playing for four different franchises since the 2020–21 season, ultimately making it a struggle to get a King’s return for the former superstar.
The Clippers traded Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum, 2026 and 2028 first-rounders, two second-rounders and a pick swap (OKC) to 76ers for James Harden and PJ Tucker. While I am not certain of how I like the fit at a glance, the Clippers did not give up much for Harden. Morris, Covington, and Batum provided size and a combined 27.5 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 4.8 APG for the Clippers. Harden averaged 21 PPG, 6 RPG and 10.7 APG by himself in Philly last year.
While I probably would not have made the trade, I have to say that the Clippers are dangerous on paper. If the friendship with Russell Westbrook and the chance to win a title playing with 3 other Southern California stars (Westbrook, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard) can motivate Harden to adjust for overall team success — then the Clips are really dangerous.
Keeping Ivica Zubac, PG, Kawhi, Russ, Norman Powell and their young players (Bones Hyland, Terrance Mann) should be seen as the big win here. The Clippers have started the season 2–1 with a healthy trio of Kawhi, PG, and Russ. Now they have added in James Harden, who isn’t quite the same player he was in Houston, but he is very gifted at creating for teammates and finding scoring opportunities for himself. With this addition, The Clippers have two dynamic guards in Westbrook and Harden, that can set Kawhi and PG up for opportunities making their lives easier. This benefits the rest of the roster even more.
Conclusion
I give this move a 40–60 percent chance for success. I believe the comradery and motivation of the grouping of Russ and PG looking to get that first ring will bring out whatever Harden has left in the tank in this “last run” for a ring. The acquisition of PJ Tucker should also provide some toughness for the Clippers.
However LAC did nothing to address their defensive issues and rebounding woes. These are two key weaknesses to keep your eyes on especially come playoff time in potential matchups against the reigning champion Denver Nuggets or even against the Lakers. You also have to keep in mind that Harden is on his 4th team since 2021 for good reason.
The 76ers have won by subtraction with reigning MVP Joel Embiid and rising star Tyrese Maxey, adding players that accept being role players and do what they can to help a team win. I don’t think this puts Philly over teams like Boston or Milwaukee but ending a toxic relationship is always a good thing.
