James Harden to LA: Clippers land 10-time All-Star in blockbuster trade

Clippers acquire James Harden in blockbuster trade

The Los Angeles Clippers added another superstar to its roster and he happens to be a Southern California native.

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Clippers have added another Southern California native to their roster in a blockbuster trade.

James Harden, who was named NBA MVP for the 2017-18 season, was traded to the Clips from the Philadelphia 76ers late Monday night.

"James is one of the most prolific and efficient playmakers in the NBA," said Lawrence Frank, President of Basketball Operations for the Los Angeles Clippers in a press release. "With his size and vision, he possesses an extraordinary ability to create for himself and others. The Los Angeles area has produced so many elite players in recent years. With Kawhi, Paul, Russ and James, we’re excited to bring four of them together, and eager to see what they can accomplish with the rest of our group."

Find the details of the trade below.

Clippers get:

James Harden
PJ Tucker
Filip Petrušev (Later traded to Sacramento)

76ers get:

Marcus Morris Sr.
Robert Covington
Nic Batum
KJ Martin
A 2027 first-round draft pick to be routed to Oklahoma City
A 2028 unprotected first-round draft pick and two second-round picks
A 2029 pick

Philly also waived Danny Green to make room for a roster spot.

"To make a trade of this magnitude, we had to part with players who have meant a great deal to our organization: Marcus, who was a fixture in our starting lineup for four seasons with his strength, toughness and clutch shooting; Nico, the ultimate team player, who did whatever it took to win; Rob, a terrific pro, no matter how many minutes he was playing or touches he was getting; and K.J., a phenomenal athlete with a bright future. We thank them all and wish them the best in Philadelphia," Frank added.

James Harden. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

This also means a reunion for Russell Westbrook and Harden who were teammates in Oklahoma City and Houston. It's too soon to know how and if the Clippers will adjust their starting lineup.

James Harden and Russell Westbrook, April 30, 2012. (Ron Jenkins/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

The Clippers focused on defense during training camp. Offensively, adding Harden is sure to bring relief to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

SUGGESTED:

Westbrook, Harden, Leonard, George, and Norman Powell all grew up in Southern California.

More on the highly-anticipated trade

The Clippers and 76ers were reportedly in trade talks on and off throughout the offseason. The deal apparently failed sometime after Harden called Daryl Morey, Sixers President of Basketball Operations "a liar" multiple times during an event in China.

The relationship between Harden and Morey continued to sour.

"If we were about divorce levels at the start of training camp, we are at like Kim/Kanye, Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt levels coming into this week," Rachel Nichols said on FS1's "First Take. "This is about to get nasty."

Previously, multiple sources said the Sixers were asking for too much in the trade and wanted to add players to the team to build around Joel Embiid in his prime.

Those talks apparently picked back up during training camp and the Clippers made it clear fan-favorite Terance Mann was not up for grabs. Harden did not show up to the first day of training camp with Philly but appeared on Day 2. The team even posted a video of him on X, formerly known as Twitter, making a play with Tobias Harris.

Once the season began, Harden did not travel with the team for the first two games of the season and was listed as "out" for Philly's home opener against Portland.

Finally, the 76ers can move on and can continue to build about the 2023 MVP and Tyrese Maxey.

Harden, a 10-time All-Star, attended Artesia High School before attending Arizona State University. In 2009, he was selected third in the NBA Draft by Oklahoma City where he began his career. He has also played for Houston and Brooklyn.

Harden and Tucker arrived in Los Angeles on Halloween night. It's unknown if the Clippers will keep Petrušev.

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