James Harden, PJ Tucker, Filip Petrusev, Robert Covington, Marcus Morris, several draft picks, and a pick exchange with the Philadelphia 76ers were all traded for James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers.
“The Sixers are acquiring Marcus Morris, Nic Batum, Robert Covington, KJ Martin, multiple draft picks, and a pick swap for James Harden, PJ Tucker, and Filip Petrusev, sources tell ESPN.”
Since the beginning of free agency, when the 76ers notified Harden they would not be extending his deal, the player and team have been embroiled in a trade dispute. In spite of this, Harden asked to be traded and accepted the player option in his contract.
Since Harden became available, the Clippers have been the only team interested in acquiring him; after much back and forth over the previous four months, the parties have finally come to an agreement on terms.
Clippers Prepare for a Challenging Western Conference
The Nuggets are the clear favorites in the Western Conference, with everyone else in a close race to finish second and upset the Nuggets. This is possibly the deepest the conference has ever been. With no significant additions to the roster, the Clippers appear to be lagging behind the Suns, Lakers, and Warriors this summer.
As the third team in the Kristaps Porzingis trade, they attempted to trade for Malcolm Brogdon; however, the transaction fell through because Brogdon failed a medical exam. They gave up their expiring contracts to pursue Harden, the only club to do so for months, and gave the 76ers cap flexibility for the upcoming offseason.
They have a 2-1 record so far in the season, and every member of the squad is currently fit. Although Russell Westbrook has averaged 11.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.7 assists when playing point guard, his value is still severely limited by his poor decision-making and lack of space. With such a tiny sample size, he has shot 60.0% from the field, demonstrating his efficiency.
Despite his shortcomings, Harden has a lot of positive qualities. He still scores at a high level and has some of the best playmaking in the game; it’s just that he doesn’t score as much as he used to. With a season-long average of 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists, he will be this team’s genuine floor general. It will be fascinating to see if Westbrook starts next to him or comes off the bench.
The Clippers now have a core group of four players who were born in California who are prepared to end the Lakers’ monopoly on the city and go for a championship. Though there are still many unanswered questions, this suggests that the Clippers are giving it their all to win right now.