The three-month-long James Harden trade saga concluded in dramatic fashion. In the middle of the night, he was once again shipped to his preferred destination, this time the Los Angeles Clippers. Harden was focused on a Clippers trade after contract disputes led him to demand a trade from Philadelphia in June. Let’s analyze this blockbuster deal from both sides.
James Harden Trade Grades
The Deal in Full
76ers receive: Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum, KJ Martin, 2026 and 2028 first-rounders, two second-rounders, and a pick swap.
Clippers receive: Harden, P.J. Tucker, and Filip Petrusev.
BREAKING: The Philadelphia 76ers are trading James Harden and PJ Tucker to the Los Angeles Clippers for Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris, Robert Covington and KJ Martin, and draft picks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. pic.twitter.com/4gwGJgrYUb
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 31, 2023
Trade grades
Philadelphia 76ers: B
Accurately grading this trade from the 76ers perspective is nearly impossible. Harden put Philly’s front office into an extremely challenging situation and diminished his value in the process. While the win-now value isn’t there in this return, the trade gives the 76ers much flexibility, including valuable future draft picks from the Clippers and four expiring contracts. The 76ers now have a potential of $100 million in cap space entering the next offseason. It’s important to note that re-signing Tyrese Maxey would take a good portion of this space. Regardless, this move gives the 76ers the needed assets and cap to land another star next to Joel Embiid. With Maxey having a breakout season, the 76ers have enough to remain competitive in the East. At the same time, they can make a big move at the trade deadline or in free agency. Zach LaVine, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Brandon Ingram remain intriguing possibilities if the 76ers take that route.
Alternatively, if the 76ers can’t compete or land a star, Embiid may get upset. This move gives the 76ers the fallback option of rebuilding and starting a youth movement. While this is an unlikely scenario, it’s still a possibility and something to keep in mind. Ultimately, despite the low name value, this trade gives the 76ers several options and tons of flexibility, which is extremely intriguing.
Los Angeles Clippers: B-
In a vacuum, this deal is incredible value for the Clippers and gives them a better chance to compete in the Western Conference. The Clippers were able to get Harden for pennies on the dollar. Three aging role players, an intriguing young player, and a handful of picks are the cheapest possible package for a player of Harden’s caliber. Harden was playing at an All-Star level last season. He provides the Clippers with elite playmaking and perimeter scoring. Before the Harden trade, the Clippers were clearly in the outer circle of contenders. This move gives them more star power and an improved chance to compete for a title at a cheap price.
However, despite this move and its upside, I still have reservations with the Clippers. The core is aging, including their star and complementary players. Furthermore, the Clippers have not had substantial success in the playoffs with this core, and Harden likely won’t change that. The Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have suffered injuries leading to these postseason shortcomings. Harden has also struggled with injuries and has constantly played worse in the playoffs, making this star pairing risky. The core of Leonard, George, Harden, and Russell Westbrook is overly repetitive, and the players don’t complement each other enough. This move puts the Clippers all in with no draft capital and the entire star core on an expiring deal. Unless the Clippers wanted to kickstart a rebuild, this feels like a trade they had to make. Nevertheless, the trade is very risky for the aging Clippers.
