The Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers are engaged in serious trade conversations centering around James Harden.
At the moment, the only thing that stands in the way of a deal getting done is Philly’s most recent demand for its disgruntled star.
That being said, until the transaction is complete, anyone can swoop into the equation.
Including the Los Angeles Lakers.
This week, a trade was proposed that would send D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura to Philly and Harden to the Lakers.
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It did not go over well with Lakers fans.
“Rui is such a good piece for them, though,” one person wrote.
“Hell no,” another agreed.
“We don’t want him,” a third fan chimed in.
This reaction isn’t entirely surprising.
Harden is one of the greatest shooting guards of all time, but he is 34 years old and comes with a ton of baggage.
This is a guy who was just in the club insulting his current team president just a few weeks ago.
A player who NBA franchises literally had to hire private investigators to follow.
Plus, Harden is coming off two seasons in Philly where he averaged 21 points per game – his lowest output since his 2012-13 campaign with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Sure, you could make the case that his scoring numbers decreased because he opted for more of a facilitating role, but the reality is that his assists numbers haven’t substantially improved.
It is just his scoring that has gone down.
Harden could be a really good fit with the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard’s reaction to him potentially coming onboard speaks for itself.
Jordyn Woods’ outfit to KAT’s Abu Dhabi game caused a stir:https://t.co/daV8qd1QyJ
— Game 7 (@game7__) October 7, 2023
But if he costs the Lakers Russell and Hachimura – it simply isn’t worth it.
The failed Russell Westbrook experiment was a good example of what happens when you trade depth for an aging, over-the-hill star.
The Lakers will not make that mistake again.
Related: Kawhi Leonard’s Dance Video With Russell Westbrook Goes Viral
A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
