The first shocking trade of the NBA this season has happened with the Philadelphia 76ers sending their star player, James Harden, along with PJ Tucker and Filip Petrusev, to the Los Angeles Clippers. In return, the Sixers acquired Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum, KJ Martin, and multiple future draft selections.
Harden, who had yet to make his debut with the Sixers this season, had made it clear over the summer that he would never play for a team where Philadelphia's President of Basketball Operations, Daryl Morey, was in charge.
The Clippers, now add a former MVP to their arsenal, which already had the talents of Paul George, Russell Westbrook, and Kawhi Leonard.
Expectations
The prospect of a starting lineup featuring Harden, George, Westbrook, and Leonard definitely gives the Clippers fans some hope and undoubtedly they are the main candidates to win in the Western Conference.
The addition of a key role player such as PJ Tucker adds depth to Ana already versatile Clippers' bench which features Norman Powell, Josh Primo, Bones Hyland and Terrance Mann.
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This means that the Sixers will be handing the keys to the offense to Tyrese Maxey, who is expected to take a leap this season as the primarily scorer in the backcourt for Nick Nurse.
Philadelphia will also waive veteran guard Danny Green to create the roster space for the trade.
The acquisition of the three-time scoring champion and former MVP, along with the formidable trio of George, Westbrook, and Leonard, positions the Clippers as the frontrunners in the Western Conference.
