James Harden brought his high-octane offense to the Philadelphia 76ers but found himself at odds with management entering the new season. After making a trade demand that nearly didn’t happen, sources say that James Harden will now don a Los Angeles Clippers jersey next to some future fellow Hall of Famers.
As reported by ESPN, the 76ers traded away James Harden, the versatile P.J. Tucker, and Serbian player Filip Petrusev. In exchange, the 76ers received Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nic Batum, KJ Martin, a 2028 unprotected first-round pick, two second-round picks, a 2029 pick swap, and an additional first-round pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Clippers are handing over a 2027 first-round pick swap to OKC which will allow the team to provide the 76es with a 2026 protected first-round pick. The Clippers also gave a 2024 and 2029 second-round pick to the Clippers as well.
Danny Green, a veteran defensive specialist and three-time NBA champion, was waived by the team to make roster space.
Harden, according to some observers, is on the tail end of his prime despite putting up an impressive 21 points and 10 assists last season along with 6 rebounds and 1 steal. At 34, Harden still has a lot of pop in his game, and alongside Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook, the Clippers are suddenly a team that could easily outscore a number of teams in the Western Conference.
Of course, the biggest issue is chemistry and Harden has been accused of being a team killer. However, with Harden returning to his native Los Angeles and getting away from a situation he no longer felt served him in Philadelphia, this could be a strong year.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, the segment of the social media network known as NBA Twitter had plenty to say about the James Harden trade. Check out the reactions below.
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Photo: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty
