The landscape of the NBA has changed drastically as the most recent James Harden trade saga has come to an end. The Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers finally completed a deal that has been rumored to be in the works for months.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Harden is on the way to Los Angeles along with P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev. Heading back to Philadelphia will be Marcus Morris, Nic Batum, Robert Covington, KJ Martin, multiple draft picks and a pick swap.
Part of the draft pick compensation that is being included is a 2028 unprotected first-rounder going to the 76ers from the Clippers, along with two second-rounders and a pick swap. A second first-round pick will be heading to Philly as well via a third team.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers Updates, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
To make the deal complete, the 76ers are waiving veteran Danny Green to make room for all of the new players whom they have acquired.
Wojnarowski added that the Clippers made a deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder to figure out the draft compensation. Los Angeles sent Oklahoma City a 2027 first-round pick swap so that a 2026-protected first-round pick from the Thunder could head to Philadelphia. The second-round picks that the Clippers are sending to the 76ers are in 2024 and 2029.
This is a huge deal as the Clippers unloaded a lot of depth, which has been needed over the seasons because of their injury concerns, but another All-Star. Harden joins Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook one one of the most star-studded rosters in the NBA.
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How all of those pieces will fit together is anyone’s guess. Those are a lot of mouths to feed on the offensive side of the ball as Clippers’ management opted to sacrifice glue guys and complementary players for a fourth All-Star player. Chemistry and cohesion will be key as franchises have begun shying away from the star model.
For the 76ers, it will be interesting to see how this deal impacts Joel Embiid. Will he want to stay committed to the franchise, happy with how things turned out with Harden? Or will this accelerate his desire to be traded elsewhere, no longer feeling that Philadelphia can contend for a title without Harden?
These next few weeks will certainly be interesting in the NBA with both franchises working in new faces. This is a huge risk for both teams, as the Clippers are looking to maximize their title window with Leonard and George, while the 76ers may have just shut theirs.
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