The last domino of the NBA offseason has finally fallen! Despite being more than a week into the season, it happened finally. James Harden gets his wish as the 76ers dealt James Harden to the Clippers.
The 76ers and Clippers agreed on a trade early yesterday that sent James Harden to LA for a package of picks and players.
The Sixers are acquiring Marcus Morris, Nic Batum, Robert Covington, KJ Martin, multiple draft picks and a pick swap for James Harden, PJ Tucker and Filip Petrusev, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/fSOkgO5xd3
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 31, 2023
Harden and the 76ers had publicly made it clear that their relationship was no longer a healthy one. Philly told him to not show up for practices and games, preventing him from boarding the team plane.
Everyone knew Harden would end up in Los Angeles; it was simply a matter of finding the right price. The OKC Thunder helped step in in that regard, sending a protected 2026 1st as part of the package to Philadelphia. In exchange, they received a pick swap with LA in 2027.
Now that Harden is in LA, it's time to take a look and see what players are impacted by this trade, and whether they will see an increase or decrease in production.
Fantasy Impact of James Harden Traded To Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
Russell Westbrook and James Harden account for 5 of the last 7 Assist Titles.
Westbrook: 3
Harden: 2
Chris paul: 1
LeBron: 1The Clippers have a floor general for all 48 minutes. pic.twitter.com/Gm5PpSAsYE
— JDJackson (@TheWestWolfPod) October 31, 2023
With James Harden now on the Clippers, they have four high-level players in their starting lineup. Harden and Russell Westbrook at the guard spots, and Kawhi Leonard and Paul George at the forward positions. The Clippers are now primed for success.
Harden and Westbrook are both excellent facilitators, and you can almost guarantee one of them will be on the floor at all times. Their scoring numbers may take a downward turn, as Leonard and George will do most of the work in that department. The high assist totals should offset that, and both will be quality contributors on fantasy rosters.
Leonard and George can both be 20-plus point-per-game scorers and should tally strong numbers in the rebound categories. On defense, each member of the lineup minus Harden is a plus defender and should rack up steals, blocks, and charges. Ivica Zubac will be a beneficiary of some lobs from Harden and Westbrook and can be a fill-in center on some nights.
Philadelphia 76ers
Harden is gone—time for 22 year old Tyrese Maxey to be the lead guard in Philly…
Crazy burst, floater is butter, pure perimeter shot with big volume, blur in transition, killer off DHOs, low turnover%. Passing is the final piece, and he’s already improved mightily. He’s ready. pic.twitter.com/83VnJOdPc5
— NBA University (@NBA_University) October 31, 2023
Now that Harden is out the door, the 76ers offense runs purely around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Embiid will likely have a line similar to his MVP campaign, gobbling up rebounds and getting to the free-throw line at a prolific rate.
The player who will benefit most, however, is the young guard Maxey. He is off to a hot start this year, averaging over 30 points per game. While he is unlikely to maintain that pace, he could be in line for an All-Star campaign if he keeps his scoring over 20 PPG.
As for the other players in the deal, they aren't more than desperate fill-ins or injury replacements. They can be safely left in you league's free agent pool.
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