NBA Trade Analysis: Evaluating the impact of the James Harden trade

The 76ers rocked the NBA during the early morning hours of Halloween, trading disgruntled point guard James Harden, and power forward PJ Tucker to the Los Angeles Clippers. In return, the Sixers received Robert Covington, Nic Batum, KJ Martin, Marcus Morris, and four future draft picks.

The trade officially puts an end to the tumultuous James Harden era in Philadelphia that lasted just 20 months. During Harden’s time in Philadelphia, the Sixers were unable to make it past the second round in consecutive seasons, and this offseason Harden requested a trade after calling team president Daryl Morey a liar and saying “he would never play for an organization that he is a part of ever again”

Reactions around the NBA were mixed with many analysts saying that the Clippers won the trade by forming a star-studded big three of Harden, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard. Others say that the Sixers got the better end of the trade by acquiring draft capital and expendable contracts that will open up the opportunity to acquire a new star eventually.

To gather diverse opinions on the trade, I interviewed three individuals with different perspectives: Bill Werndl, a longtime sports broadcaster for 95.3 WCHE; Francisco Rojas, a full-time sports producer and host from 94.1 WIP; and Seth Arinsberg, a dedicated Sixers fan and recent West Chester University graduate. Let’s delve into their reactions and insights regarding this significant trade.