After months of speculation, the Philadelphia 76ers have (finally) traded James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers. This is a pretty interesting trade, so I’m going to evaluate how this move will impact both teams involved.
The Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers received a 2026 first-round pick, a 2028 first-round pick, two second-round picks, a pick swap, Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris, and Kenyon Martin Jr. In return they had to give up James Harden, P.J Tucker, and Filip Petrusev.
In my humble opinion, the 76ers gained absolutely nothing from this trade. Sure, some would see losing James Harden as a loss, but I’m confident the Sixers don’t see it that way, and are just glad to be rid of Harden and all the drama that came with him.
On the other hand, the additions of Kenyon Martin Jr. and Nicolas Batum don’t really add anything either. Maybe some veteran leadership and two expiring contracts that the 76ers will be able to trade in the near future, but other than that, Philly gained nothing from trading Harden.
In a way, I think this could be the best case scenario for Philadelphia. They got rid of their drama queen in James Harden, and didn’t get any worse. Not many other teams would have been eager to bring Harden to their team, what with all the controversy that has surrounded his name the last few seasons, so getting rid of him for virtually no cost worked out in favor of the Sixers.
Additionally, Philly is still a top three team in the East, with Tyrese Maxey playing all-star level basketball, and 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid still on the roster. It’s not often that you see a trade involving a former MVP and ten time all-star not affect the team they’re getting traded from at all, which is why I found this move so intriguing.
The Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are definitely the winners of this trade, receiving James Harden, PJ Tucker, and Filip Petrusev, while giving up no one of importance in return.
James Harden has got to be happy because he got exactly what he wanted: to be traded from the 76ers to a contender in Los Angeles. With that being said, there is a chance that this trade could backfire on Harden, because the Clippers were supposed to be title contenders after they acquired both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard in 2019, and they still haven’t lived up to those expectations.
The Clippers have been trying to bring a championship (that isn’t won by the Lakers) to LA since they were created, and this is their best chance at doing that. With Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook, and now James Harden all on the Clippers’ roster, the time for success is definitely now.
Some people view this new Clippers team with two former MVPs and a combined 32 all-star selections as a super team, and on paper it definitely is. However, I wouldn’t be so quick to label them as a super team, until we see if all of these players actually end up playing together.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are known as two of the faces for the new era of load management in the NBA, so there is a good chance we don’t see them on the court as much as we should. If all four of the Clippers’ superstars play at least 60 games together, then I think this team could very well be a title contender. But if not, then I think this roster will be another addition to the list of failed super teams.
This trade was a strange one, because while the Clippers definitely won this trade, the Sixers didn’t lose. It’ll be interesting to see if the 76ers will finally surpass the Bucks and the Celtics in the East, and if the Clippers will live up to their super team potential.