Possible James Harden Mock Trade
James Harden has requested a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers and only has one destination in mind, the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers will want an experienced vet like Harden to be the missing link at the point guard position. However, Daryl Morey will not trade James Harden for just anything.
Los Angeles Clippers get: James Harden and De’anthony Melton
The Clippers want James Harden. However, most likely, the Clippers will want more than just James Harden; they will also want some bench depth. Melton would be a solid backup shooting guard for the Clippers. With the 76ers, he did not exactly light up the scoreboard as the fans were hoping, but he was effective on the floor. In the Ben Simmons trade, the 76ers probably gave up too much with Simmons; they also sent Andre Drummond, Seth Curry, and two first-round picks in the 2027 draft. The 76ers do not have any first-round picks until 2028. So there is no way they are giving up more picks to a team that is already taking one of their stars.
Philadelphia 76ers get: Norman Powell, Robert Covington, and a 2027 first-round pick
I think this is the fairest trade that the 76ers can get for James Harden. Normal Powell would be a good option at small forward and was a pretty good scoring option for the Clippers last season. Now, the 76ers will likely use him as a third-scoring option. Powell will earn $18 million this year, $19.2 million in 2024-2025, and $20.4 million in 2025-2026. Now for Robert Covington, this will be a reunion for him in Philadelphia. Covington’s best basketball days are most likely behind him, but he can still provide some bench depth for the 76ers.