THE Los Angeles Clippers seek to enhance their aspirations for title contention after obtaining 10x All-star and former NBA MVP James Harden via blockbuster trade with the Philadelphia 76ers yesterday.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN’s NBA Insider, the Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to trade the 6-foot-5 guard to the Los Angeles Clippers.
According to ESPN, the Sixers will receive Marcus Morris, Nic Batum, Robert Covington, KJ Martin, several draft picks, and a pick swap in exchange for James Harden, PJ Tucker, and Filip Petrusev.
Veteran guard Danny Green was forced to be waived by the 76ers as the team needs to have an open roster spot to complete the trade with the Clippers.
On the other hand, the lefty guard averaged impressive numbers of 21.0 points, 10.7 assists, and 6.1 rebounds last season for the Philadelphia 76ers. He has sat out the 76ers’ first three games of the 2023-2024 season, where the team won two of three.
The Clippers now have a firepower to complement All-Star forwards Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, as well as his friend Russell Westbrook, with whom he formerly played with in Oklahoma and Houston.
The Clippers and Sixers were said to have been discussing a Harden deal in July, and they eventually reached an agreement yesterday. When he exercised his $35.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season in June, the All-Star guard demanded a trade out of Philadelphia.
However, controversy arose when he repeatedly dubbed 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey a “liar” during a promotional event in China in August, claiming that their damaged relationship could not be repaired.
On the lighter side of basketball, Harden and Tucker were previously seen in the Clippers’ locker room earlier before their game against the Orlando Magic. However, both recently acquired players are unlikely to play against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.
The Los Angeles Clippers currently have a 3-1 win-loss record after defeating the Orlando Magic, 118-102. Fans hope that the Clippers will perform even better once their new acquisitions enter the squad.
How about you? With their present lineup, where do you think the Clippers rank? Please leave a comment below.
