NBA Legend Feels Sorry for Russell Westbrook After James Harden Trade

James Harden finally got his wish. The bad blood between James Harden and Daryl Morey has been going on for months now, but Morey finally decided to do the right thing for his superstar player. Morey and the Philadelphia 76ers finalized a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers that would send Harden to his preferred destination.

The Clippers traded away 4 players and multiple draft picks to acquire James Harden. Although many are happy for Harden, a former 17-year NBA veteran is not happy for one of his new teammates.

This will affect Russell Westbrook the most

After learning about this, Eddie Johnson shared his thoughts on the James Harden trade. Russell Westbrook has been playing well this season. But because of this trade, Johnson feels like it’s Westbrook who will have to face the pitfalls.

In the past couple of years, Westbrook could not showcase his true potential. However, over the first three games of the season, the Clippers have looked good, and so has Westbrook. But now that Harden is on the team, this means that Westbrook will probably have to take a step back.

Johnson captioned the post, “Russell Westbrook having a rebirth season and this is how he is rewarded. Hmmmm. Let?s see how this plays out!”

Westbrook knows how to play with James Harden on the team, as he has already played a similar role for the Houston Rockets. However, his usage is certainly going to drop as Harden will have the ball in his hands. But it all depends on how the Clippers’ offense will be run by the coaching staff.

Over the past couple of years, Westbrook has learned to relegate himself to being the 3rd or 4th option on a team after playing with players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis. So it’s now up to James Harden to play with a championship mentality and figure out how to sacrifice for the team while not having a significant drop in his game.

The effect of the James Harden trade

The Clippers sent Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington Kenyon Martin Jr, an unprotected 2028 first-round pick, two future second-round picks, and one first-round pick swap to the 76ers. The 76ers in return traded James Harden, PJ Tucker, Filip Petrusev, and a future first-round pick.

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This makes the Clippers better than they already were. The team will now have a starting five of Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Ivica Zubac. Keeping Terrance Mann out of the deal was a huge benefit for the Clippers. Their bench now comprises Bones Hyland, Tucker, Mann, Mason Plumlee, and Norman Powell. This makes them a team with depth that is sure to push for championship contention now.

If the star players perform as we know they can, it would be extremely difficult for any team to get a win over the Clippers.

What do you think about this line-up for the Clippers? Let us know in the comments below!

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