23-24' Game 3: @ Wizards (Mon 10/30 @ 7:30PM on NBCSB)

Harden traded to Clips.............I think PHI will be better with Morris. With Maxey running the show now, they'll be tough to stop

washingtonpost.com
Philadelphia 76ers agree to trade James Harden to Los Angeles Clippers
Ben Golliver



The Philadelphia 76ers agreed to trade Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, fulfilling a June trade request that will send the 10-time all-star guard to his fourth team in four seasons, two people with knowledge of the deal confirmed.

The central framework of the deal will see the Clippers send Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Kenyon Martin Jr., a 2028 first-round pick and additional draft assets to the 76ers in exchange for Harden, a Los Angeles native who will join Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook in pursuit of the franchise’s first championship. The Clippers will also acquire P.J. Tucker in the deal, which was still being finalized. ESPN.com first reported the trade agreement, which comes after months of rumors linking Harden and the Clippers with mutual interest.

Harden, 34, averaged 21 points, 6.1 rebounds and a league-best 10.7 assists per game last season for the 76ers, who lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals for the third straight season. Armed with a player option, Harden entered the summer expecting a major payday in free agency that never materialized.

With limited leverage, Harden elected to pick up his $35.6 million option and request a trade rather than enter free agency, thereby setting up a standoff with Philadelphia 76ers President Daryl Morey.

Morey, who was only interested in trading Harden if the return package bolstered Philadelphia’s contention hopes, was unable to find a deal before training camp opened. As the initial talks fizzled, Harden repeatedly threatened in August to “never be a part of an organization” that employed Morey and he skipped the team’s media day and its first day of training camp before relenting and joining the team. The NBA fined Harden $100,000 for his pointed comments about Morey, which included calling the longtime NBA executive a “liar.”

As the start of the regular season approached, Harden again separated from the 76ers for an extended period of time and was not with the team during its season-opening road loss against the Milwaukee Bucks last Thursday. Harden did sit on the bench during Philadelphia’s win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, but he has yet to suit up this season.

This isn’t the first time in recent history Harden has used sharp-elbowed tactics to change teams. The three-time scoring champion reported late to the Houston Rockets during the 2020-21 season and expressed his frustration with the organization’s direction. Houston traded Harden to the Brooklyn Nets in January 2021, but he lasted just 13 months alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. After passing on a long-term extension to remain in Brooklyn, Harden became frustrated with the Nets’ lack of continuity and sat out with a hamstring injury in the days before he was traded to Philadelphia in February 2022.

Harden, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, played just 80 regular season games for the Nets and 79 games for the 76ers. In Los Angeles, he will join a veteran team that reached the 2021 Western Conference finals but has been held back by recurring injuries to Leonard and George over the past two seasons. This will be the third time Harden has played with Westbrook following shared stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Rockets.

After missing the 2022 playoffs and losing to the Phoenix Suns in the first round last season, the Clippers were willing to gamble on the mercurial Harden because they have lacked sufficient backcourt playmakers to complement Leonard and George, their two franchise wings.

Billionaire owner Steve Ballmer has sought to elevate the Clippers and will open the lavish Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., for the 2024-25 season, and Harden’s arrival should boost the team’s short-term outlook in the Western Conference standings. Los Angeles, which is off to a 2-1 start, had made no other additions of consequence this offseason after shuffling its roster and adding Westbrook at the February trade deadline.

Philadelphia, meanwhile, must cope with another failed star partnership for Joel Embiid, the reigning MVP and scoring champion. Embiid, 29, has teamed with the likes of Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler and Harden over the past five years, and the co-star role will now fall to 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey, who averaged 30.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists during the first three games and was named Eastern Conference player of the week on Monday. Philadelphia enters Tuesday’s action with a 2-1 record.

Batum, Morris and Covington will arrive in Philadelphia with contracts that expire at the end of this season. Tucker, 38, will join the Clippers holding an $11.5 million player option for the 2024-25 season.

Harden was made for LA:  Stinks, kooky and is loud and useless.

Garbage time and stink often go together. 

I agree. addition by subtraction

If PP would step up, our bench would be serviceable until the playoffs. With Al, PP and Brissett, that should be 8 deep. ONE of Svi or Hauser needs to pick it up. WHEN Brad adds to the bench, I will have zero sympathy for any of these guys who have been given an opportunity to win a rotation spot. They are all available, who wants it??

starting to regret the PP extension already lol

Missed the game, soccer practice...did Gallinari play?...what a wanker whining about being traded and wanting revenge...hard to believe...

Pritchard could turn it around, all it would take was for a couple of threes to drop. I would still like to see what Svi and Stevens could do as 7th and 8th men off the bench.Stevens started 25 games for the Cavs, and Svi had a very good season last year. Give'em a chance Mazz!

Agree about Banton! He's at the end of the bench with Kornet!