Sixers send James Harden to Clippers

PHILADELPHIA — James Harden got his trade to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Philadelphia 76ers sent Harden, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrušev to Los Angeles for Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nic Batum, K.J. Martin, a 2028 unprotected first-round draft pick, two second-round picks, a 2029 draft-pick swap and an additional first-rounder from a third team, a person familiar with the trade told The Associated Press.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the final details of the trade are not yet official.

Harden, who told the 76ers that the Clippers were his preferred team from the moment he issued his offseason trade demand, now joins a loaded roster intent on making a title push. He joins Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook — Harden’s former teammate in Oklahoma City and Houston — in a veteran lineup that now make the Clippers a heavy betting favorite to win the NBA championship.

The 34-year-old Harden vowed he would never play for a franchise run by 76ers team president Daryl Morey, and the disgruntled guard had yet to play for the team this season. Harden had picked up his $35.6 million contract option in June with the belief the team would trade him. When a deal failed to immediately materialize, Harden’s relationship with the 76ers ultimately soured.

The 10-time All-Star led the NBA in assists last season with 10.7 per game, but it was Harden’s wildly fluctuating offense that frustrated the Sixers and helped doom them in the playoffs, where they lost in the second round to Boston.

Harden, acquired at the 2022 trade deadline from Brooklyn, is now off to his fifth team.

He was a late arrival to training camp and continued to practice with the 76ers until he was told to stay home for the team’s first two road games in the wake of the trade demand. The lone time he spoke at practice, Harden said that his fractured relationship with Morey could not be repaired — comparing it to a broken marriage. Coach Nick Nurse had said Harden would not play until he met certain conditioning requirements. Harden was scheduled to practice with the 76ers on Tuesday.

Instead, Harden is on his way to California.

The 76ers are off until Thursday’s home game against Toronto. The Clippers are set to play Tuesday night against Orlando. There was no immediate word when all the traded players would be available to their new teams.

Harden and Westbrook joined Bob McAdoo as the only league MVPs traded four times in their careers.

This may be the Clippers’ last chance to win a title with this group of All-Stars. Both Leonard and George are eligible for extensions and the Clippers will have to decide whether it’s worth keeping the injury-prone duo together. Part of Harden’s complaint with the Sixers stemmed from the belief he should have earned a long-term contract with the team after last season.

Harden dressed in street clothes and sat on the bench for Sunday’s home opener against Portland. NBA MVP Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey have the 76ers off to a 2-1 start all while Morey navigated the Harden headache.

Harden and the 76ers are no strangers to turmoil. Harden’s wildly successful tenure in Houston — where he first teamed with Morey, then the general manager — included three scoring titles and the 2018 NBA MVP award. But his relationship with Houston eventually fell apart and he forced his way to Brooklyn in 2021. He joined Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and formed a Big Three that was never very big. The trio was socked by injuries and other controversies and played only 18 games together before Harden wanted out.

So it was off to Philly at the 2022 trade deadline. He was reunited with Morey and seemed comfortable in his role as a playmaker while the offense ran through Embiid. Harden even declined his $47.4 million option in June 2022, saying he wanted to give the 76ers financial flexibility to improve their roster and compete for a championship. He signed a deal worth slightly over $68 million, paying him about $33 million last season with a $35.6 million player option for this season.

Harden appeared determined to sever ties with the Sixers in August after he called Morey a liar at a promotional event in China.

“Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of,” Harden said at the event. “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.”

The 76ers do get draft picks down the road, but the short-term win — besides shearing themselves of The Beard — is a glut of salary cap space next season.

While the Sixers failed to get prized guard Terance Mann in the deal, Batum, Covington (making his second stint with the 76ers), Martin and Morris all have expiring contracts at the end of the season. That leaves just Embiid, Paul Reed and Jaden Springer as the only players on the books for 2024-2025. For now, the Sixers are expected use some of the cap space to extend Maxey next summer.