James Harden Traded to L.A. Clippers in 3-Team Deal with OKC and 76ers

NOV 1 : The trade has been made official, confirmed through press releases from all three teams involved. The terms of the agreement are detailed as follows:

– The Los Angeles Clippers have successfully acquired James Harden, P.J. Tucker, and Filip Petrusev.

– The Philadelphia Sixers, in return, have secured Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Kenyon Martin Jr., the Clippers’ 2028 first-round pick (with no protections), one of the 2026 first-round picks, chosen from the Rockets’ top-four protected, the Clippers’, or the Thunder’s, whichever is the least favorable. Additionally, they gain the right to swap their own 2029 first-round pick with the Clippers’ 2029 first-round pick, which is top-three protected. Furthermore, a 2024 second-round pick, with specific details provided below, the Clippers’ 2029 second-round pick, and a cash component.

– A notable detail regarding the 2024 second-round pick acquired by the Sixers is that it will be determined as the most favorable among the Raptors’, Pacers’, Jazz’s, or Cavaliers’ picks. In the event that either the Jazz’s or Cavaliers’ pick ranks as the most favorable, Philadelphia will instead receive the second-most favorable pick from the four.

– Lastly, the Oklahoma City Thunder have secured the right to swap either their own 2027 first-round pick or the top-five protected Nuggets’ 2027 first-round pick for the Clippers’ 2027 first-round pick, which remains unprotected.

It’s important to note that to accommodate the incoming players, the Sixers have waived Danny Green.

 

 

 

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OCT 31 8:25AM: ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has provided additional insights into the three-team trade. According to his report, the OKC Thunder will be granted a 2027 first-round pick swap by the Clippers, and they are implementing safeguards on the 2026 Clippers first-round pick that is on its way to Philadelphia.

The 2026 pick that the Thunder are trading to the Sixers will be the least desirable selection from a pool of picks the Thunder have in that year, Derek Bodner of Philly Sports notes.

OKC also have control over their own first-rounder and the ’26 pick from Houston, which is protected within the top four selections.

As for the two second-round picks that the Clippers are trading to the Sixers, sources have informed Wojnarowski that they are the 2024 and 2029 selections.

The 2029 pick will be the Clippers’ own, but since LA has already traded away their 2024 second-round pick, the other second-rounder in this transaction will come from one of two other selections that the Clippers possess, with one being Raptors’ and the other potentially being from the Pacers, Jazz, or the Cavaliers.

To summarize, OKC’s ownership of the Clippers‘ first-round picks has been extended by an additional year, covering the following seasons as Andrew Schletch of The Athletic notes:

– ’24

– ’25 swap

– ’26 with protections

– ’27 swap

 

 

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OCT 31 6:25 AM : The extra first-round selection that the Sixers are set to obtain in the monumental trade is the 2026 first-round pick from the Clippers, which was previously under the control of the Thunder, as per Shams Charania. This implies that Oklahoma City Thunder will be the third party involved in the trade, although the specific compensation they will receive for this first-rounder remains uncertain.

 

 

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OCT 31 2:11AM: The Philadelphia 76ers have agreed on a trade to send guard all star point guard James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers, as per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

In this trade, the Clippers secure James Harden, PJ Tucker, and Filip Petrusev, while the Sixers acquire Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, KJ Martin. 

Moreover, as part of the agreement, the Clippers sweeten the deal by offering an unprotected first-round pick for the year 2028, along with two second-round picks and a pick swap to the Sixers.

The Clippers are also facilitating the transfer of an additional first-round pick from a third team, as per Adrian Wojnarowski.

In addition to these transactions, the 76ers plan to waive experienced guard Danny Green to create space for the incoming players obtained from the Clippers, Wojnarowski added.

Harden, 34, expressed his desire for a trade back in June after opting for a player option of $35.6 million. He specifically requested to be traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Throughout the summer and into the season, Harden, who has had conflicts with the organization, particularly with the head of basketball operations, Daryl Morey, publicly referred to Morey as a “liar” during a promotional event in China.

He indicated that their once strong bond was irreparably damaged. Initially, Harden missed the team’s media day before eventually joining them at training camp in Colorado Springs.

Just when it seemed that tensions were subsiding, Harden skipped 10 days of practice, reportedly due to his frustration over the Sixers’ inability to secure a trade.

Recently, trade talks with the Clippers were put on hold as they focused on their own roster. Harden then decided to return to the Sixers but was prevented from boarding the team flight for the first two road games.

He eventually rejoined the Sixers, sitting on the bench in street clothes during the home opener, with plans to rejoin the rest of the team for practice on Tuesday, as reported.

In the 2022/23 regular season, Harden faced challenges with injuries. While he was no longer at the peak of his athleticism, he maintained his impressive performance whenever he was on the court, often teaming up with the eventual MVP, Joel Embiid.

In 58 games, he posted solid averages of 21.0 points per game, 10.7 assists, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game.