By admin
Months of speculation and uncertainty came to an end as the Los Angeles Clippers acquired shooting guard James Harden in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. In addition to Harden, the Clippers will add small forward P.J. Tucker and power forward Filip Petrusev to the deal. The 76ers will receive two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and a pick swap in 2029, as well as four role players from the Clippers.
Harden, 34, triggered a player option for the final year of his contract worth $35.6 million, under the assumption that the 76ers would trade him. The NBA star, who grew up in Los Angeles, expressed his desire to return to his hometown and play for the Clippers. He joins former teammate Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard, with the goal of delivering the Clippers their first championship in franchise history.
With Harden now gone, the 76ers are looking to add a shooting guard to replace him. They had a top-six offense even without Harden, and are now in a position to clear cap space and seek a replacement guard. The team has been the subject of trade rumors, with players like Buddy Hield and Malcolm Brogdon in the mix.
In the NBA futures market, the odds for both the Clippers and the 76ers to win the championship have shifted after the trade. The 76ers are now +1800, compared to +1700 before the trade, while the Clippers’ odds have improved to +1200 from +1700. The Clippers also saw an uptick in their odds to win the Pacific Division, moving to second on the board. The 76ers’ divisional odds remained unchanged, with the Celtics still the favorite to win the Atlantic Division.
Overall, the trade has created shifts in the NBA landscape, providing opportunities for both the Clippers and the 76ers to reconfigure their rosters and pursue their championship aspirations.