Steve Balmer deserves to be in an insane asylum for making this trade. The Los Angeles Clippers have thrown all of their chips on the board as they’ve traded their entire kitchen sink to the Philadelphia 76ers to stupidly bring in James Harden in a 12-piece move.
What the hell is wrong with the Clippers?
In a textbook example of a last-ditch, foolish attempt to win a championship, the Los Angeles Clippers have literally sold their future away as they brought James Harden in from the Philadelphia 76ers. And, if you couldn’t tell, I think this is just an awful move!
Now, I already wrote an article about this Harden situation saying that the 76ers just have to move on from the former MVP by cutting him as I didn’t think anyone would actually trade for him; but in classic Clippers fashion, they have stepped up to the plate and hit a harmless pop up into left field to lose the game with this move.
For those who don’t know what the Clippers have given up for Harden, they traded Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nic Batum, KJ Martin, a 2028 1st round pick, 2 2nd round picks, a 2027 1st round pick that used to belong to the OKC Thunder, and a 2029 1st round pick swap. And, in return, they got Harden (obviously), a 38-year-old PJ Tucker, and some guy called Filip Petrusev.
See why I think this is just an awful move?
With this deal, the Clippers have now just signed over the next SIX YEARS’ WORTH of 1st round AND 2nd round picks to various teams, yet James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Russell Westbrook all have contracts that expire and/or all of them to opt out after the season. So, in a really bleak world, the Clippers could have traded a full decade’s worth of picks, spent nearly $1B in player salaries, and invested hundreds of hours gametime and hope into three former MVPs that will all be on other rosters come this time next season.
I just really can’t fathom why the Clippers would waste so much of their future and current, cheap, reliable assets on guys who not only have more injuries than you could shake a stuck at, but who also have not performed in the biggest moments in the biggest games. Aside from Kawhi Leonard, not a single of one the Clippers biggest stars, such as Harden, Paul George, or Russell Westbrook, have led teams to NBA Finals, let alone win the whole damn thing.
And especially not James Harden.
Once again last season, the guy underperformed in the biggest of moments as the 76ers got bounced out of the 2nd round for the fifth time in the last six seasons, while Harden scored just 20 or more points in only two of the seven games against the Boston Celtics. Oh, and did I mention that Harden scored a grand total of just…9 points with 7 assists in Game 7.
Whether you like James Harden or not, the guy just can’t perform under the brightest of lights…and yet the Clippers have traded the last of their draft pick reserves for him to do that very thing. Does that make sense to you? It doesn’t to me.
Obviously, this is a great deal for the 76ers as they now have three first round picks from a team that’s going to be picking in the Top-10 by the time the late 2020’s rolls around, while guys like Marcus Morris, Nic Batum, Robert Covington, and KJ Martin can add a little more experience and help for Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. And these guys can actually be relied upon to play and stay in shape, even if they are underperforming or if their waffles were not properly flipped twenty times before practicing.
I just don’t see how these guys are going to be able to play with one another even if they are all healthy as they have very different playing styles, but I know for certain when the biggest moments come for the Clippers, Harden won’t be the one to step up and deliver.
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