James Harden is no longer a Sixer. The Blockbuster deal that we have been waiting for finally happened early Tuesday morning between
The two teams completed a deal to send the Beard to his requested destination along with PJ Tucker. The Sixers received expiring contracts and draft compensation to complete the deal, with insiders speculating that those assets will be moved for another star.
With the drama over, who are the true losers and winners of this trade? Check out three winners and losers of this blockbuster deal:
Winners
Tyrese Maxey
Tyrese Maxey is the number one winner of this trade from the Philadelphia 76ers’ perspective as well as his own perspective. Maxey had a chance to learn and be a protégé under James Harden but quite honestly, Harden was holding his development back.
Maxey became an elite shooter in order to be a good backcourt mate with Harden, knowing he would have the ball in his hands the majority of the time. Now with Harden on a jet to Los Angeles, Tyrese can continue to spread his wings and be the primary ball handler for this squad.
Maxey’s first-week performance gave fans and the front office confidence to make a Harden trade. Maxey has shown he is growing as a playmaker. He has shown glimpses throughout his first three seasons, and there were times when Harden deferred to Maxey when the young gun was hot. This is now Joel Embiid AND Tyrese Maxey’s team and Maxey has the look of a future All-Star.
Nick Nurse
In his first months as the head coach of the 76ers, Nick Nurse had to maneuver through player trade drama. When taking this job, he may have expected Harden to be a part of the team but he has still put his team in great positions to win games through the first week.
Nurse has handled all of the questions throughout training camp and preseason the right way. Now that this is over, he can focus on the team he has in front of him, and continue to help young players like Tyrese Maxey develop. This current team may not be the same team after the trade deadline, but at least he has shooter and defending around his reigning MVP and young star.
James Harden
James Harden finally got what he wanted and got shipped to the LA Clippers. Once Harden didn’t hear from the Sixers on the free-agent deal he expected, he opted in and requested a trade. After months of back and forth between the Clippers and Harden’s statements in the media, he is finally going home.
Harden’s “return” to the 76ers was only for optics and got his buddy PJ Tucker to get traded to the Clippers, right along with him. Harden had a chance to do something special in Philadelphia with Joel Embiid but it didn’t pan out. We shall see if he gets any closer to a championship with the Clippers.
Losers
Daryl Morey
Daryl Morey has been at the center of two trade sagas during his time with the 76ers. First Ben Simmons and now James Harden. As an organization, having two players request trades in a three-year time frame isn’t the best look. Morey traded Harden for a solid return of expiring contracts, role players, and draft assets but they didn’t get the star they wanted in return.
If the fans were to give Morey an approval ratings, it may not be high at this moment. All of that could change if he were able to flip those assets for another star to pair along with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. If Morey doesn’t get a star in the future, Joel Embiid could be on his way out leading to a massive rebuild. His job likely hinges on his next move.
Los Angeles Clippers
Did the Clippers win in the short term, yes. They added an all-time NBA player to their roster to increase their championship chances this season. A team running out a lineup of James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook looks tremendous on paper.
The outcome of this season hinges solely on the health of Leonard and George, which quite frankly has been the downfall of the Clippers since 2019. Sure you have Harden, who has been an NBA iron man but if you don’t have those guys, the move means nothing.
The Clippers also traded away two future first round picks, pick swap, and second round picks. Did Lawrence Frank mortgage the future? Not quite, but the team could be in a precarious position in 2026 and 2028 if this team doesn’t win a championship. George and Leonard are free agents and haven’t signed extensions. If they leave, the Clippers will likely return to a lower end team in the Western conference, which make those picks they dealt very valuable. Only time will tell, but many around the league believe those picks will be value trade assets to have.
Philadelphia Fans
The 76ers fans have put up with a lot these last ten years. It’s no need to hash out every detail but they have health with more scrutiny and drama than any fan base. Another star requesting a trade with rumors of their reigning MVP requesting out next summer.
The fans deserve a normal basketball season for once and it won’t come this year. Losing out on Harden definitely takes the 76ers out of immediate contention but hopefully, the assets they gained can be flipped to create another big three.
For the sake of the fans, the organization needs to do everything in its power to make sure this team has a winner on the floor year in and year out. It’s the least they can do for the die-hard fans have been through.
AP Photo/File
