New York Knicks Land Joel Embiid, Los Angeles Clippers Acquire James Harden In A 3-Team Blockbuster Trade Scenario

The New York Knicks and LA Clippers walk away winners in this hypothetical trade where Joel Embiid and James Harden get moved.

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Credit: Fadeaway World

• A proposed trade sees the 76ers pull the plug on their team by sending Joel Embiid to the Knicks and James Harden to the Clippers

• The 76ers get five rotational players and five first-round picks for their troubles

• The Knicks part with homegrown stars RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson while the 76ers lose three players

The Philadelphia 76ers have an uncertain future and could be heading into a cloud this season. With the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics making aggressive moves to improve their teams for a championship push, the 76ers have fallen behind and have a star point guard who wants to leave the franchise. Even if James Harden ultimately plays for Philly, the specter of his trade request could impact chemistry and on-court performances. 

With no move on the market that helps the 76ers in the short term and Joel Embiid reportedly keeping his options open, a full blowup could be what’s next for the franchise. Thankfully, there are two teams in the NBA that’ll be willing to offer up a lot to make this deal happen.

Trade Details

Philadelphia 76ers Receive: RJ Barrett, Evan Fournier, Mitchell Robinson, Robert Covington, Marcus Morris Sr., 2027 First-Round Pick (NYK) 2028 First-Round Pick Swap (NYK), 2029 First-Round Pick (NYK), 2029 First-Round Pick (LAC), 2030 First-Round Pick Swap (NYK)

Los Angeles Clippers Receive: James Harden

New York Knicks Receive: Joel Embiid, Terance Mann

The 76ers get five players and five first-round draft picks in this deal, with the potential to add more by having veteran talent that contending teams around the NBA could use. With the potential of RJ Barrett to tap into, the 76ers could pivot to a rebuild with Tyrese Maxey as the franchise pillar.


The Philadelphia 76ers Maximize Their Return

For parting with one disgruntled superstar and a league MVP in his prime, the 76ers will be well-compensated. They get short-term salaries of veteran talent that could be tradeable as the season goes on, which could further expand the net result of their return. Marcus Morris Sr and Robert Covington will likely be rerouted soon, with Fournier likely getting time to improve his value by playing for the first half of the season. He has an expiring contract as well, which the 76ers could let go of to keep cap flexibility open.

The only long-term contracts in this deal are RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson, the two players who may have a future home in Philadelphia. Barrett averaged 19.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists last season but has struggled to contribute in the playoffs within the Knicks system consistently. Playing under Nick Nurse could refresh Barrett, who clearly can be a high-level contributor on a team that’s better designed to accommodate his shortcomings. The Knicks aren’t that, but an elastic 76ers roster with a guard like Maxey could work better for Barrett.

Mitchell Robinson averaged 7.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks last season and could be a long-term option for the 76ers at center. He won’t be Joel Embiid but is a solid player to have alongside Barrett and Maxey. He’s just 25 years old, an elite rim protector, and one of the most efficient scorers in the NBA on limited attempts.  

The draft picks are often the real prize in a deal like this. Getting four picks from the Knicks, along with two of their best young assets, would be solid, along with the single but highly valuable 2029 Clippers pick for Harden.


The Los Angeles Clippers Finally Get James Harden

It seems the Clippers’ mild pursuit of James Harden for the last few months could end in a deal like this. They give up a pick and three rotational players to match salaries but get the player who led the league in assists last season. A true playmaking point guard like Harden would be a blessing for the 76ers. 

Harden’s play style would also be better for what the Clippers need from their starting guard, compared to Russell Westbrook. However, they both could still form the backcourt together, but Westbrook may be at his best as a sixth man.

They lose a lot of their depth at forward, with Morris and Covington both being moved. Unless they think Kobe Brown is ready, they’ll have to find ways to address that. The team is hopeful that Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are more available this season, so clearing out the forward logjam which existed as injury insurance for their stars, could be a more efficient way of building the roster.  


The New York Knicks Enter A New Era Of Contention

The Knicks have been waiting to jump after a superstar and Embiid is the ideal target. They would frankly add even more picks to the deal if that’s what it took. If they can keep Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, basically anything could be on the table from the Knicks. Barrett has always been the likely rotational player to leave, with him reportedly being offered up for Donovan Mitchell in the 2022 offseason. But that’s a small price to pay for Joel Embiid.

Embiid would be the first reigning MVP to be moved via trade and would reshape the Knicks entirely. The fit alongside Randle may look a little unsteady, but the Knicks will have plenty of options to make further adjustments to their roster. This deal also opens up more minutes for both Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley, as the Knicks also get guard Terance Mann in this. Mann averaged 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists last season.

Outside of requiring reinforcements at the forward positions, the Knicks enter the upper echelon of the East and can contend alongside the 76ers and Bucks. 


Two Teams Move Forward While One Team Moves On

Philadelphia has been holding onto the memories of ‘The Process’ like a rotten apple for years. Their team underwent tanking of the highest degree to get to where they are. But where they are is inside a cycle of constant disappointment, not even making the second round in this run with the league’s best player. With a roster that seems to be getting worse every season, they can finally usher in a new era with a well-liked star in Maxey and young guns in Barrett and Robinson.

The Clippers make the improvement they’ve needed at guard for years and look to bring home the championship in their final season in the Crypto.com arena. It doesn’t hurt that this also allows them to take a final look at whether they want to move forward with the Kawhi Leonard and Paul George duo, with both players on expiring contracts alongside James Harden.

The Knicks get their first genuine superstar since Carmelo Anthony, but on a team with a very solid foundation. This isn’t a panic move but the culmination of five seasons of positive steps taken by the Knicks in the Leon Rose era. This gives them the tools to contend with the reigning league MVP’s name on the banner at Madison Square Garden.

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is a content manager for Fadeaway World from New Delhi, India. With his expertise in NBA content creation, Ishaan brings a wealth of experience to his role, contributing to the site's authority and reach within the basketball community. Over the last year, Ishaan has interviewed Ray Allen and Mark Tatum, while also covering the 2023 NBA Abu Dhabi Games which saw the Dallas Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.Since joining Fadeaway World in March 2022, Ishaan Bhattacharya has become known for his unique perspective on the NBA. He consistently delivers this insight through his daily news coverage and detailed opinion pieces on the most significant topics in the league.Before his tenure at Fadeaway World, Ishaan worked in corporate communications, where he serviced prominent sports brands, including NBA India, Sports18, Amazon Prime Sports, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. This experience in strategic communications for leading sports entities has enhanced his ability to craft impactful narratives and connect with a global audience.A true MFFLer (Mavs Fan for Life, for the uninitiated), Ishaan is a massive fan of the Dallas Mavericks. When he is not upset about Jalen Brunson walking in free agency, you can see Ishaan as an avid gamer and content creator. His passion for basketball extends beyond the Mavericks, as evidenced by his thoughtfully curated NBA Mount Rushmore, featuring LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell—each representing distinct eras and bringing their unique qualities to the game.Featured On: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher ReportYahoo Sports, NBA, Fox Sports, The Spun
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