76ers and Clippers are both losers in James Harden trade
It makes sense that the 76ers and Clippers waited until many of us were asleep to complete the trade that sent James Harden to Los Angeles and a box of misfit toys to Philadelphia. It's questionable whether the trade makes either side better, but it almost certainly doesn't push either into title contention.
Are the load-management superstars in Los Angeles really going to want to play an entire regular season and then four playoff rounds after that? Will Russell Westbrook and Harden defer to more talented teammates Paul George and Kawhi Leonard or shoot them out of games they have no business losing?
How Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue gets the most out of his rotation will determine how far the Clippers go, but no one can reasonably think this move makes them better than the Nuggets or Suns, and probably not the Warriors or Kings.
What's much more certain is 76ers general manager Daryl Morey got utterly embarrassed with the trade. Harden isn't the player he once was, but to settle on this package should get Morey run out of Philly.
Marcus Morris hasn't played this season, Nicolas Batum is shooting 28.6 percent from deep and hasn't averaged more than 10 points in a season since 2017-18 and Robert Covington is shooting even worse (25 percent from three).
Head coach Nick Nurse might be able to muster something out of the additions, which offer much more defense. With center Joel Embiid and point guard Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia may only need complementary pieces to push the team over the hump.
Still, if you're the 76ers, settling for this offer and not demanding shooting guard Terance Mann be added must be a disappointment. He's shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from beyond the arc and is the best young player on the Clippers roster. While Morey clearly wanted to get Harden out of the building, he did so without extracting the most he could from the Clippers.
Of everyone involved in the trade, Harden is the only winner. He got exactly what he wanted, but it won't make any difference come playoff time. Philadelphia gets rid of the distraction, but the end result of "The Process" being the team reacquiring Covington and spare parts isn't ideal.
It's a good thing the 76ers and Clippers agreed to the deal under the cover of darkness because, in the light of day, this trade is tough to look at.
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