The Philadelphia 76ers finally moved on from James Harden, as the franchise traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers in the middle of the night. The 76ers received three first-round picks, with one being a swap, and players like Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum, Kenyon Martin Jr., and Marcus Morris Sr. The Clippers also acquired P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev.
With a new roster, the 76ers are expected to field a lineup like this alongside existing stars such as Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Starting Lineup
PG: Tyrese Maxey
SG: De’Anthony Melton
SF: Tobias Harris
PF: Robert Covington
C: Joel Embiid
Bench: Patrick Beverley, Jaden Springer, Kelly Oubre Jr., Furkan Korkmaz, Kenyon Martin Jr., Nicolas Batum, Danuel House Jr., Marcus Morris Sr., Paul Reed, Mo Bamba
The frontcourt is very changeable for the 76ers, who could easily elect to start Harris at the four or alongside Nicolas Batum. A smaller lineup could see even Covington moved to the bench and Kelly Oubre being promoted to the starting lineup. They have options, but this looks like a bloated roster full of average veteran frontcourt players.
Given the draft capital the 76ers received, they could be looking to move some of that value along with the mid-size contracts they acquired to upgrade the roster. Otherwise, this team is targeting cap flexibility next season with all incoming players on expiring contracts.
The 76ers Rebuilding In The Middle Of Their Championship Window
The one thing Daryl Morey was certain of was that he would generate value on a Harden trade that he hasn’t seen all offseason. He might have done that in terms of pick equity, getting three valuable Clippers picks from 2026 to 2028 after the end of their current era. Those picks will be valuable in trade negotiations and it seems the 76ers acquired them as the first step of their plan to add contending players to their roster.
The player value they’ve received is as unimpressive as it could get. The Clippers retained all their high-value players, such as Terance Mann and Norman Powell, though their long-term contracts may have also chased the 76ers away. They currently project to have only Joel Embiid under a guaranteed contract next season, giving Morey a chance to go after a top free agent.
Either way, we need to wait for the 76ers to make more moves before we decide whether this was a good deal or not. They’ve got the picks, but future assets don’t help Embiid contend for a championship right now. This could be the 76ers hedging the franchise’s future, as the 30-year-old Joel Embiid will not remain at his competitive best for much longer.
The Knicks’ Hopes Of Landing Joel Embiid Have Improved
If this one trade is all the 76ers intend to do, the Knicks will be smiling ear-to-ear. Embiid has been the clear ideal choice for a superstar acquisition for the Knicks, with various rumors of the franchise’s interest in a deal coming out over the summer. The Knicks supposedly have a standing trade offer waiting to be sent, which would feature Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, and Mitchell Robinson. The high player quality may be immaterial to Morey, who’d rather get the picks if that is the direction he wants to take the 76ers in.
The 76ers have had a good start to the season without Harden and are adding more rotational pieces that have been part of a winning situation in recent seasons. They will be one of the stronger teams in the East, but they won’t be strong enough to compete with the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics. If the 76ers run this roster to the end of the season and face another playoff heartbreak, Embiid will be heavily rumored to be on the move in the 2024 offseason.
The Knicks could try to retain Randle in an Embiid trade, given he’d provide minimal long-term value to the 76ers. They could move him for more assets, but the Knicks should try and get this deal done while maintaining Randle and Jalen Brunson. RJ Barrett will be an obvious inclusion due to his age, but the Knicks will also have to choose among other young players to include such as Immanuel Quickley or Quentin Grimes.
They have more than enough picks to swing a deal, so the 76ers will be under a microscope all season long, as the Knicks lurk in the shadows to see if they can snag their next franchise star.
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