The Knicks finally get the superstar they wanted, the Clippers add a star point guard, and the 76ers enter into a rebuild.
The Philadelphia 76ers have an uncertain future and could be heading into a cloud this season. With the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics making aggressive moves to improve their teams for a championship push, the 76ers have fallen behind and have a star point guard who wants to leave the franchise. Even if James Harden ultimately plays for Philly, the specter of his trade request could impact chemistry and on-court performances.
With no move on the market that helps the 76ers in the short term and Joel Embiid reportedly keeping his options open, a full blowup could be what’s next for the franchise. Thankfully, there are two teams in the NBA that’ll be willing to offer up a lot to make this deal happen.
Trade Details
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: RJ Barrett, Evan Fournier, Mitchell Robinson, Robert Covington, Marcus Morris Sr., 2027 First-Round Pick (NYK) 2028 First-Round Pick Swap (NYK), 2029 First-Round Pick (NYK), 2029 First-Round Pick (LAC), 2030 First-Round Pick Swap (NYK)
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: James Harden
New York Knicks Receive: Joel Embiid, Terance Mann
The 76ers get five players and five first-round draft picks in this deal, with the potential to add more by having veteran talent that contending teams around the NBA could use. With the potential of RJ Barrett to tap into, the 76ers could pivot to a rebuild with Tyrese Maxey as the franchise pillar.
The Philadelphia 76ers Maximize Their Return
For parting with one disgruntled superstar and a league MVP in his prime, the 76ers will be well-compensated. They get short-term salaries of veteran talent that could be tradeable as the season goes on, which could further expand the net result of their return. Marcus Morris Sr and Robert Covington will likely be rerouted soon, with Fournier likely getting time to improve his value by playing for the first half of the season. He has an expiring contract as well, which the 76ers could let go of to keep cap flexibility open.
The only long-term contracts in this deal are RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson, the two players who may have a future home in Philadelphia. Barrett averaged 19.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists last season but has struggled to contribute in the playoffs within the Knicks system consistently. Playing under Nick Nurse could refresh Barrett, who clearly can be a high-level contributor on a team that’s better designed to accommodate his shortcomings. The Knicks aren’t that, but an elastic 76ers roster with a guard like Maxey could work better for Barrett.
Mitchell Robinson averaged 7.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks last season and could be a long-term option for the 76ers at center. He won’t be Joel Embiid but is a solid player to have alongside Barrett and Maxey. He’s just 25 years old, an elite rim protector, and one of the most efficient scorers in the NBA on limited attempts.
The draft picks are often the real prize in a deal like this. Getting four picks from the Knicks, along with two of their best young assets, would be solid, along with the single but highly valuable 2029 Clippers pick for Harden.
The Los Angeles Clippers Finally Get James Harden
It seems the Clippers’ mild pursuit of James Harden for the last few months could end in a deal like this. They give up a pick and three rotational players to match salaries but get the player who led the league in assists last season. A true playmaking point guard like Harden would be a blessing for the 76ers.
Harden’s play style would also be better for what the Clippers need from their starting guard, compared to Russell Westbrook. However, they both could still form the backcourt together, but Westbrook may be at his best as a sixth man.
They lose a lot of their depth at forward, with Morris and Covington both being moved. Unless they think Kobe Brown is ready, they’ll have to find ways to address that. The team is hopeful that Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are more available this season, so clearing out the forward logjam which existed as injury insurance for their stars, could be a more efficient way of building the roster.
The New York Knicks Enter A New Era Of Contention
The Knicks have been waiting to jump after a superstar and Embiid is the ideal target. They would frankly add even more picks to the deal if that’s what it took. If they can keep Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, basically anything could be on the table from the Knicks. Barrett has always been the likely rotational player to leave, with him reportedly being offered up for Donovan Mitchell in the 2022 offseason. But that’s a small price to pay for Joel Embiid.
Embiid would be the first reigning MVP to be moved via trade and would reshape the Knicks entirely. The fit alongside Randle may look a little unsteady, but the Knicks will have plenty of options to make further adjustments to their roster. This deal also opens up more minutes for both Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley, as the Knicks also get guard Terance Mann in this. Mann averaged 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists last season.
Outside of requiring reinforcements at the forward positions, the Knicks enter the upper echelon of the East and can contend alongside the 76ers and Bucks.
Two Teams Move Forward While One Team Moves On
Philadelphia has been holding onto the memories of ‘The Process’ like a rotten apple for years. Their team underwent tanking of the highest degree to get to where they are. But where they are is inside a cycle of constant disappointment, not even making the second round in this run with the league’s best player. With a roster that seems to be getting worse every season, they can finally usher in a new era with a well-liked star in Maxey and young guns in Barrett and Robinson.
The Clippers make the improvement they’ve needed at guard for years and look to bring home the championship in their final season in the Crypto.com arena. It doesn’t hurt that this also allows them to take a final look at whether they want to move forward with the Kawhi Leonard and Paul George duo, with both players on expiring contracts alongside James Harden.
The Knicks get their first genuine superstar since Carmelo Anthony, but on a team with a very solid foundation. This isn’t a panic move but the culmination of five seasons of positive steps taken by the Knicks in the Leon Rose era. This gives them the tools to contend with the reigning league MVP’s name on the banner at Madison Square Garden.
