31 October 2023 , 06:37
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James Harden has been traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, bringing his time in Philadelphia to a dramatic end.
Harden has been desperate to leave the 76ers and return to his native Los Angeles after a bitter falling-out with team president Daryl Morey, which led to the All-Star saying he would never play for the team again. Philadelphia, however, remained firm with their stance that they wouldn't allow Harden to leave.
Harden stayed away from the team during pre-season, only to dramatically attempt to join his team-mates for their trip to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks in their season opener. The 76ers, however, refused to let him on the plane, and instead insisted he stay in Philadelphia to undergo a personal mini training camp and get himself ready.
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He was in the stands on Monday night as the 76ers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, and was seen laughing and joking with his team-mates. Just days before, the 76ers had reportedly ended all interest in Harden.
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It now seems their interest was never completely over, however, as just after 2am local time in Philadelphia, news broke that the team had finalised a deal with the Clippers. The 76ers will receive an unprecedented haul in return for the superstar guard, with reports suggesting they'll acquire Marcus Morris, Nic Batum, Robert Covington, KJ Martin, multiple draft picks and a pick swap - with PJ Tucker and Filip Petrusev joining Harden in Los Angeles.
The historic trade means Harden has successfully forced his way out of three teams in the last two years - having demanded a trade from the Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets and 76ers.
The deal allows the 76ers to free up cap space and continue their rebuild around reigning MVP Joel Embiid, while the 76ers add a prolific shooter to their star-studded line-up, which also includes Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. The Clippers had started the season well, and looked to be a cohesive team unit as they dominated the San Antonio Spurs in a blowout win on Sunday.
James Harden stayed away from the team during pre-season, and has now been traded to the LA Clippers (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)Details of the trade are currently scarce, but Morey had been adamant that he wouldn't let Harden leave without a serious haul in return. Reports had suggested the 76ers would ask for a player capable of starting for the team, as well as numerous first-round Draft picks in return for the prolific scorer.
It was also rumoured that Morey had, while growing tired of negotiating with the Clippers, demanded LA's superstar forward George in return. That request was reportedly immediately rejected.
Harden's relationship with Morey was beyond repair after he opted into his one-year player option in his contract, allowing him to receive £30million ($36.5m) for the upcoming season. He believed he would be rewarded with a long-term deal with the 76ers, but when that offer didn't come, he referred to Morey as a liar and said he would never be part of the same organisation as his former boss in Houston.