James Harden is getting his wish, with the Philadelphia 76ers agreeing to trade the disgruntled All-Star guard to the Los Angeles Clippers, according to the reports.
The Clippers will ship picks including a 2028 unprotected first-rounder and another first from an undisclosed third team along with Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nic Batum, KJ Martin to Philadelphia to acquire Harden, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev, ESPN reported.
The 76ers will also receive a 2029 pick swap and two second-round selections in the blockbuster.
The deal ends a tumultuous tenure in Philadelphia for Harden, whom the 76ers acquired from the Nets in the February 2022 trade that sent Ben Simmons to Brooklyn.
It pairs Harden with fellow big names in Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook, fortifying a contender in a loaded Western Conference that features the defending-champion Denver Nuggets and a Phoenix Suns team that added Bradley Beal to Kevin Durant and Devin Booker over the offseason.
Harden, 34, averaged 21 points and nearly 11 assists over 79 games with Philadelphia and took a pay cut entering the 2022-23 season. He asked for a trade in June, the same month he picked up his $35.6 million option, but the request went unresolved for months, bleeding into the regular season.
“Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of,” Harden said during an August promotional event in China, referring to Philadelphia’s president of basketball operations. “Let me say that again. Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”
Harden, the 2018 NBA MVP and a 10-time All-Star, didn’t appear in a game this season with the 76ers, who began the year 2-1 without him. Philadelphia will still look to contend behind Joel Embiid, the reigning NBA MVP, and 22-year-old guard Tyrese Maxey, who is averaging 30.3 points through three games.
