Winners and Losers from Blockbuster 76ers-Clippers James Harden Trade
Just when it seemed like the Los Angeles Clippers' pursuit of Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden was running out of gas, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski hit us with late-night news that the 2017-18 MVP is headed there after all.
Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespnBREAKING: The Philadelphia 76ers have agreed on a trade to send guard James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/wAyuJKMfAw
Later, we learned that Filip Petrušev and P.J. Tucker are also headed to L.A. in the deal, while the 76ers are receiving Marcus Morris Sr., Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Kenyon Martin Jr., an unprotected first-round pick in 2028, two second-round picks and a pick swap.
Given the supposed lack of interest in Harden from other suitors around the NBA and a series of what appeared to be missteps for his trade value over the last several months, this seems like a pretty good haul for the 34-year-old playmaker.
Of course, if the Clippers can get a motivated version of the 10-time All-Star, he could prove worth it.
To take a deeper dive, we're cracking out the ol' "winners and losers" exercise and exploring the deal from all angles below.
Harden got what he wanted. In the simplest terms, he's a winner here.
He also doesn't have to renege on his offseason promise that he'd never play for another team that Philadelphia president Daryl Morey is a part of, but that somehow feels secondary.
Harden wanted a new basketball situation. He has it now. And he has a good one.
As a member of the Clippers, he'll be flanked by two of the league's premier wings in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Both can help cover for defensive deficiencies, and both will finish tons of assist opportunities furnished by Harden.
And while there will probably be some virtual handwringing out in the internet about the lack of possessions to go around for these three stars (plus Russell Westbrook), Harden has been a more-than-willing passer throughout this phase of his career.
Over the last three seasons, he's averaged 22.3 points and 24.4 points generated by assists per game. He's also shown a recent willingness to defer to all of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Joel Embiid.
And assuming everyone's healthy for the playoffs (a huge assumption for the Clippers, yes), his new team is about as well-equipped as any to overcome a potential postseason meltdown.
Harden has had some highly publicized flameouts, but Leonard is a legendarily good closer and overall playoff performer.
This situation could be perfect for Harden.
There's a qualifier there for a reason. For all of the reasons laid out above, there's certainly a chance this partnership between Harden and the Clippers works.
On raw talent alone, L.A. should have enough to not only contend but also to win the title.
However, the health concerns for Leonard and George will hover over the team throughout the season. They morphed into actual injuries and doomed the 2022-23 Clippers. And if that happens again, Harden singlehandedly carrying the team is tantamount to asking for one of the aforementioned postseason flops.
There's also Harden's own lack of reliability. His has less to do with health and more to do with whether he'll even want to stick around for more than the next several months.
Harden has publicly and obviously quit on three teams now. This is his fourth squad since 2021. With that kind of track record, it wouldn't be remotely shocking to see it happen again if things don't go great immediately in L.A.
Every time he joins a new superteam, there's some semblance of hope and excitement. And every time (at least so far), that hope is replaced with drama, tension and chemistry-crushing losses.
That doesn't necessarily have to be the Clippers' future, but it's at least possible.
If things do go poorly, L.A. could be looking at a full reset, and it would now be doing that with fewer draft assets at its disposal.
Harden's contract expires after this season, while George and Leonard both have player options for 2024-25.
The calculus on this is pretty simple, too. The 76ers no longer have to deal with the chaos that Harden and his situation generated. That's a plus.
The analysis doesn't end there, though. Philly may not have gotten a star (or even a prospect who could turn into one), but getting multiple picks for an asset as distressed as Harden appeared to be is huge.
There's no telling where the Clippers might be in just under five years, but it feels like a relatively safe bet to say Harden (34 years old), Kawhi (32) and George (33) won't be around. If they are, they won't be the same players they are now. That unprotected pick in 2028 could prove extremely valuable.
You never know when a pick swap will come in handy, either. And some flyers in the second round don't hurt.
The deal also gives the Sixers a boost in depth, with multiple forwards who are switchable on defense and reliable on open catch-and-shoot opportunities.
Reuniting with Robert Covington is fun, too. In his four-plus seasons with Philly, where he was an early acolyte in The Process, the Sixers were minus-0.5 points per 100 possessions when he played and minus-9.1 when he didn't.
The general framework of this trade may not look like a grand slam, but there are several potential base hits here.
In the long run, the 76ers could be better off without Harden. Heck, given the way Maxey is playing, that might even be true in the short term. And, if that's the case, Embiid is a winner right along with the rest of his teammates.
But Embiid won the MVP for the only full season he played with Harden. His 2022-23 true shooting percentage was 2.0 points better with Harden on the floor than it was without him.
No one assisted an individual teammate more than Harden did Embiid. And the gap between Harden's 244 dimes to the MVP and the second-place assist duo was a whopping 89.
At least in terms of getting his offensive numbers, Harden made Embiid's life easier.
And while Maxey looks like a potential All-Star, he isn't quite the same level of setup man.
For the last couple months, conventional wisdom suggested it might take some turmoil or a small losing streak from the Clippers or 76ers to motivate a Harden trade.
Turns out, it may have been the opposite (at least from Philly's perspective).
Through his first three games of the season, Maxey has averaged 30.3 points, 6.7 boards, 6.3 assists and 4.7 threes, while shooting a blistering 56.0 percent from deep.
He was a deserving (and unsurprising) Eastern Conference Player of the Week. And the level at which he's started this campaign may have given his front office the confidence it needed to move on from Harden.
Eddie Gonzalez @banskySixers seen Maxey average 30 for a week and said ah we actually good here bet
Maxey turns 23 on Saturday. He plays with an infectious brand of energy on both ends of the floor. He's a blur in the open court and an underrated three-point shooter.
Given his age, he may be as much the Sixers' future as Embiid. Having Harden around, whether he was playing or not, only got in the way of what appears to be All-Star upside.
And while much of the offense will obviously continue to run through the reigning MVP this season, Maxey is now the undisputed lead guard.
Based on what we've seen from him so far, he'll meet that challenge.
