Well, it’s finally over. Much like the Ben Simmons drama from two years ago, James Harden is on his way out of Philadelphia and headed to the Los Angeles Clippers.
This is the third time in five years that Harden will get what he’s wanted and moved to his preferred destination. He’ll join the Clippers with Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook, and the irreplaceable, Terrance Mann.
In return, the Sixers are bringing back Robert Covington, Marcus Morris, Nic Batum, and KJ Martin. They’ll also be getting a 2028 unprotected first-round draft pick, two second-round picks, and a pick swap, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.
Sixers finally say goodbye to James Harden
For a Sixers team that has looked good through the opening few games without Harden, this is a win. The former Rocket is no longer around to cause a distraction. You’ve already seen what Maxey and Embiid can do without him and there’s no need to keep a dark cloud over that pairing.
Sixers fans get Covington, who they all swear, should have never been dealt in the first place, all those years ago. KJ Martin is only 22 years old and had himself a good year for the former second-round pick. In 28 minutes per game, Martin averaged 12.7 points and 5.5 rebounds. If he can find a role on the Sixers, he will be the only player from the deal that should provide any sort of return for the team over the next few seasons.
The Sixers will also be sending PJ Tucker and Filip Petrusev in the trade. The Clippers are about to be very interesting. While Russell Westbrook seems to have accepted a reserve role at this point in his career but we all know Harden hasn’t accepted that he may not be the player of five years ago. George and Leonard are the two true stars on the Clippers but, and this is a big one, will they be healthy for the whole year? It will be reality TV worthy, like Keeping up with the Clippers, for sure.
Moving forward
In the end the Sixers have saved themselves a lot of drama and headaches, removed James Harden, and in addition to getting some role players for the season, they’ve managed to get themselves to between $50-$65 Million in cap space for a run at a big free agent or two next off-season. Wins all around for the Sixers.
AP Photo/Chris Szagola
