Johnathan Walker:What the James Harden trade means to Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers

The Johnathan WalkerPhiladelphia 76ers and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey had no choice but to trade James Harden. Everyone knew that.

And for a team that had only one serious suitor for Harden’s (perhaps declining) services, the Sixers made out OK in the overnight trade that sent Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Clippers acquired Harden, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev from the Sixers for Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Kenyon Martin Jr., a 2028 unprotected first-round draft pick and two second-round picks and rights to swap first-round picks in 2029. Oklahoma City is also involved, and the Thunder will receive a 2027 first-round pick from the Clippers, and the Sixers will receive a 2026 first-round pick from the Thunder.

Once the Sixers and Harden failed to reach any kind of long-term deal over the summer and Harden called Morey a liar twice, the Sixers needed to trade Harden, who became a growing distraction for a team trying to win a championship with 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid still producing at an MVP level.

Clippers trade grade

This is the Clippers’ last gasp at winning a title with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George as the top two players, alongside Russell Westbrook and now Harden.

The West is deep and loaded, and the Clippers lost in the first round last season and didn’t make the playoffs the season before. Leonard, George, Westbrook and Harden are all in their early to mid-30s. And the Clippers just gave up depth and first-round picks in the deal. But they also kept Terance Mann, and P.J. Tucker, 38, who brings championship experience.

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But this is about the Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer trying to win a championship now. And the ultimate question: Can Harden be the player who elevates Los Angeles into that stratosphere?

Last year, Harden wasn’t good enough to help the Sixers reach the Eastern Conference finals. He was good at times – 45 points in Game 1 and 42 points in Game 4 against Boston in the conference semifinals, helping Philadelphia to a 3-2 series lead. But he was just 7-for-27, including 1-for-11 on 3-pointers in the final two games of the series, both Boston victories.

With the Clippers, he doesn’t need to be the first or second option, but it remains unclear how comfortable Harden will be in that role. He’s a player who likes to have the basketball and make plays. But Westbrook does, too, and Leonard and George are primary options.

The Clippers also needed to make a move because they weren’t good enough last season. This is a necessary risk. They have this season and maybe next season, and if they can’t accomplish their goal by then, it will be time for the Clippers to embark on a rebuild.

Until we know the results of this deal, the grade is to be determined.

What does the Clippers’ depth chart look like?

Coach Ty Lue has decisions to make. He could put both Westbrook and Harden in the starting lineup with Leonard, George and Ivica Zubac. Or, he could bring Westbrook off the bench and put Mann in the starting lineup – giving Westbrook opportunity to play his style with the second unit.

What is James Harden’s contract situation?

Harden is the final season of two-year, $68.6 million contract and will be a free agent following this season.

Sixers trade grade

The Sixers aren’t – or least shouldn’t be – finished making moves. The trade grade is an incomplete.

Morey needs to turn the draft picks and some of the players he acquired into an All-Star caliber player who fits alongside Embiid and 22-year-old guard Tyrese Maxey, a rising young star who more than mitigates Harden’s departure. The NBA just named Maxey the East’s player of the week after averaging 30.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists and making 14-for-25 3-pointers in the Sixers’ first three games.

There is pressure on Morey. Milwaukee added Damian Lillard to the Giannis Antetokounmpo-Khris Middleton dynamic, and undefeated Boston looks like a 60-win team with the addition of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis to a team featuring Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Al Horford.

The Sixers have to keep up, and this is a start to adding a player who helps create a contender. They eliminated the Harden distraction and have until the trade deadline to make moves − important moves that will impact Embiid's future with the team.