After an eventful few months, the James Harden saga in Philadelphia appears to be coming to an end. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the 76ers and Clippers have agreed to a Harden trade, which will shake up the NBA landscape.
According to Wojnarowski, the Clippers will acquire Harden and PJ Tucker from the Sixers. Marcus Morris, Nic Batum, Robert Covington, and KJ Martin are acquired for the Sixers, along with draft picks and a pick swap.
Harden initially exercised his player option for this season in the hopes of being traded after submitting his trade request. However, the Sixers stuck to their guns and refused to trade the All-Star guard.
It was quiet for weeks on that front as the 76ers looked for potential trade partners.
Meanwhile, Harden made it clear that he did not want to play in Philadelphia, even calling Sixers president Daryl Morey a liar.
There was no clarity on the Harden front as training camp and preseason began. He missed the first few days of camp to stay for about ten days, only to miss the next few days away from the team. He recently returned to the Sixers for the start of the regular season, though he was not permitted to travel to road games. He hadn’t yet played in a game, though.
The Clippers were the Sixers’ most likely trade partner, but they couldn’t agree on anything for weeks. However, the two teams are said to have reached an agreement to send Harden to Los Angeles.
The Clippers add some point guard depth to an already talented roster. The Sixers now have some clarity with their current roster, led by reigning MVP Joel Embiid. Regardless, this is a significant move that will have a significant impact on both conferences.
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