Did the Clippers Fleece Sixers for a Bargain James Harden Deal?

The Los Angeles Clippers have finally agreed a trade deal for James Harden with the Philadelphia 76ers. After months and months of speculation, rumors that it might not happen, and wild theories on other trade destinations for The Beard, the thrilling saga has come to a close. He will be suiting up with Paul George, Russell Westbrook, and Kahwi Leonard for LA’s lesser-decorated franchise.

When a team usually trades for a player of Harden’s caliber, they’re expected to part ways with significant assets. After all, they’re effectively trading for one of the world’s best players. Usually, such trades involve young players with a bright future and a lot of draft picks. So who exactly did the Clippers have to bid adieu to?

The Los Angeles Clippers and the Harden heist

The Clippers were originally told that in order to acquire James Harden, they would need to part ways with Terance Mann. Having declared Mann an untouchable in any trade talk, it did not look likely that any such trade would ever materialize. However, when the news broke that the Clippers got their man, fans were worried about what that meant for Mann. With ESPN’s own Adrian Wojnarowski revealing the details of the Harden trade, fans were left awestruck. They had acquired Harden and had not lost any valuable pieces in the deal either.

Marcus Morris and Nic Batum were both veteran players who regularly came off the bench without much success. KJ Martin, unfortunately, is not the player his father Kenyon Martin was. The only one who seems like a small loss is Robert Covington, whose defensive contributions to the Clippers cannot be ignored. But hey, when you’re getting a player with the offensive capabilities of James Harden, who cares about defense, right?

To an extent, they can cover for Harden’s non-existent defensive game. In Kahwi Leonard and Paul George, they have two extremely skilled defensive wings, and in Russell Westbrook, they have the most explosive point guard of his generation. While not necessarily a defensive ace, Westbrook’s pace and vertical are not something to be messed with, and the sight of a 6’3 muscular man running at you with a mean look on his face is enough to put anyone off.

In comparing their losses to their massive acquisitions, the Clippers have, on a surface level, absolutely hoodwinked the 76ers. In fact, they pulled off a trade that Sam Presti would be proud of.

But what about the 76ers? With these new acquisitions, can they continue their bright start to the season?

What next for Philly?

With a 2-1 record, the 76ers currently sit 5th in the Eastern Conference. Joel Embiid seems to have picked up where he left off last season and will aim to be the third consecutive player to get back-to-back MVPs. Tyrese Maxey seems to be stepping up and could be in contention for an All-Star call-up this season. In Nic Batum and Marcus Morris, they’re getting battle-tested veterans, who are guaranteed to be a positive locker room presence. And most importantly for Daryl Morey, they got rid of their biggest liability, James Harden. Every day that Harden refused to play, train, or travel with the team would be seen as a stain on their season.

Read More: James Harden Clippers Trade: Details on What 76ers Lost and Gained in the Blockbuster Deal

But overall, fans in Philadelphia will be left scratching their heads wondering how and why their team allowed such a trade to happen. None of their acquisitions have the individual ability to turn the game on its head like Harden. With the departure of PJ Tucker, they’re losing an all-round player, someone who can guard all five positions with relative ease. It’s also been rumored that in order to make cap space available, they’ll be waiving ex-champ Danny Green.

With all of these factors in mind, it’s hard to think that the Clippers lost this trade in any way, but with Harden’s track record, that may yet be the case. When combined with the fact that Harden and Westbrook haven’t worked well in a team before and that Harden ditched Westbrook to go to Brooklyn, there remains a chance that Philadelphia will walk out of this trade the eventual winner.

Watch This Story: Staring Down the Barrel of $1.5 Million Blow, James Harden’s “Unexcused Absence” Is “Only the Beginning” in 76ERS Drama, per Veteran Analyst

With the Clippers going all out for the title, one thing remains certain, and that is that we are in for a very interesting season of basketball around the Association.