James Harden, in his 13 seasons in the NBA, has played for four different franchises, and he has managed to earn numerous achievements, including an MVP award, which reflects his potential on the court. After several months of Harden’s trade request away from the Philadelphia 76ers following a fallout with the front office, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel.
A most recent report claims an end to the ten-time All-Star guard’s lingering contract extension issue with the 76ers, giving Harden a chance to reunite with his former teammate from both the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets.
Clippers acquire James Harden from Sixers
Four months after he asked for a trade, James Harden’s wish has come true. On Monday, the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to trade Harden, P.J. Tucker, and Filip Petrušev to the LA Clippers. In return, they’ll get Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Kenyon Martin Jr., Marcus Morris, a 2028 unprotected first-round pick, two second-round picks, and a pick swap, as reported by ESPN.
Espn tweeted, “The Philadelphia 76ers have agreed on a trade to send guard James Harden to the LA Clippers.” The Clippers will also send an extra first-round pick to an undisclosed third team, according to the report. The Sixers will waive guard Danny Green to make the deal work, as per ESPN. This is the third time Harden has been traded since 2020.
Harden expected the team to present a long-term contract offer. When no such offer came, he chose to exercise the $35.6 million option in his contract and let the Sixers know about his desire for a trade, with the Los Angeles Clippers as his favored choice. The Sixers responded, stating that they planned to discuss contract options with Harden after July 1 when the NBA’s legal negotiation window opens.
The Clippers, realizing the possibility of Harden not rejoining the 76ers, initiated discussions in July and intensified them recently, as the star continued to resist committing to the 76ers. The Clippers are reportedly preparing for the arrival of new recruits. Harden had been secured to partner with Clippers’ All-Star forwards Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, as well as his former teammate Russell Westbrook.
Harden reportedly wanted to reunite with Russell Westbrook
Harden and Westbrook who shared the same locker room at Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets, are now reunited. According to a post on Instagram by Basketballforever as reported by Joey Linn with the caption, “James Harden wants to reunite with Russell Westbrook.” with a picture of the duo star guards.
The trio of Harden, Westbrook, and Durant achieved great results and even made the NBA finals appearance at Oklahoma City Thunder. After Harden’s trade to the Rockets, Westbrook joined in 2019, which further enhanced their relationship. Though the duo had a short-lived stint at the Rockets, they managed to provide spectacular performances.
Harden averaged 34.3 points, 7.5 assists, 6.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. While Russell Westbrook with limited time on the court averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. The duo secured the 4th seed for the Rockets with a record 44-28.
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