LA Clippers Receive: James Harden, P.J. Tucker, Filip Petrusev

Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nic Batum, KJ Martin, 2026 first-round pick (via OKC), 2028 first-round pick (via LAC, unprotected) , 2029 first-round swap, 2024 second-round pick, 2029 second-round pick

Harden’s high-usage offensive leadership has been integral to keeping a defense-first Clippers team in the thick of the playoff race, but L.A.’s long-term outlook is still worse now than it was before the trade.

Harden joined George, Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook on what L.A. hoped would be a contender. Injuries did the Clippers in last year, and it’s hard to argue the team will become a top-tier threat until Harden is gone and Leonard is off the books. Even then, it’ll be tough to build out a strong roster without the two future firsts and 2029 swap going to the Sixers.

The Sixers haven’t had great results with their 2024 offseason acquisitions. Those came over via the mountain of cap space they created by taking back so many expiring deals for Harden. But there’s still plenty of time for Paul George and all the rest of the 2024 signings to pan out, and it might not be fair to penalize Philly for what it did with the flexibility it created in the first place.

This was still a transactional masterstroke executed from a position of virtually zero leverage, as Philly netted several hugely valuable draft picks and maximized its spending flexibility while getting rid of a player who didn’t want to be there. The unprotected 2028 first-rounder from the Clippers, in particular, is a choice asset.

The Sixers’ long-term outlook may be hazy because of Joel Embiid’s health and George’s hefty deal, but they had no business getting a return like this for Harden, considering his minimal market value at the time.

Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@gt_hughes), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale.