The Warriors’ path to another championship just got more interesting.
In a blockbuster trade, the Los Angeles Clippers acquired James Harden from the 76ers for a package that includes two future first round picks, a pick swap, two second round picks and four veteran players. Los Angeles is also getting forward P.J. Tucker in the deal.
The trade was first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski Monday night.
The Clippers will now pair Harden — the embattled former MVP — with stars Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook. They were also able to keep young wing Terance Mann.
Harden demanded a trade from Philadelphia after he opted into his $35.6 million player option for this season. This summer, he publicly derided Sixers president Daryl Morey multiple times and sat out training camp before eventually rejoining the team. He didn’t suit up for Philadelphia this season prior to the trade.
Harden’s impact on the Clippers will be fascinating. If he joins the Clippers in shape; if he can fit in with a team with multiple other ball-dominant players; if he can put his playoff woes aside; if he can stay motivated under his current contract situation; Harden could make the Clippers a force in the West.
Given Harden’s history, all those conditions are major questions. Bringing him in is a major risk.
Leonard, George and Westbrook each have player options for next season, meaning all four of their star players could depart in free agency after the season. That means the Clippers are essentially all-in to win a title this season.
Los Angeles already sent out seven first-round picks and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Thunder for George, in a trade that looks historically bad in retrospect. LAC holds its own first round pick in 2027, but that is set to be their only top selection in the next five drafts.
There’s also no guarantee the trade will put the Clippers over the top. They’ll still have to contend in the Western Conference with the defending champion Nuggets and the Warriors, who have started 3-1 and have the most championship pedigree in the league.
Both Golden State and Denver have rosters assembled organically, with mostly homegrown talent. The Clippers are shaping up to be their foils.
Despite all the questions, ESPN Analytics now pegs the Clippers as the favorite to get out of the West, with a 12% chance at winning the title (the Warriors are third in that methodology with 9% title odds).
In the Warriors’ Golden Age, they have never lost to a Harden team in the playoffs, though Leonard’s Raptors dethroned them in 2019. The last time Golden State lost a series to the Clippers was in the opening round of 2014, when Blake Griffin and Chris Paul led LAC past the Warriors in seven games.