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Clippers Notes: Trade, Harden, Tucker, Westbrook

November 1st, 2023 at 9:04am CST by Luke Adams

Four rival scouts and three executives who spoke to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times about the Clippers‘ trade for James Harden were split on what the team gave up and how significant an impact the former MVP will have on the roster.

“This is something that can go two, three different ways, but a motivated Harden is a good Harden,” one scout said. “I think we’ll get a hard-playing James. Now when the playoffs come, that’s always interesting how he regresses. But I think we’ll see some big-game James in the coming months.”

As Greif writes, some of the sources he spoke to believed the cost to acquire Harden was about right, but pointed out that it will be a lot to have surrendered if he ends up being a one-year rental. Others are curious about how the “pecking order” will play out in Los Angeles, given how many ball-dominant players the Clippers now have on their roster in Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook.

“I’m not saying it can’t work. I think it can,” another scout said. “They’re clearly better with James Harden in terms of talent, skill and basketball IQ. But how’s it all going to shake out? I don’t see how — with the willingness of these guys seems to be there to make it work — that it wouldn’t work. But sometimes the best-laid plans don’t always go the way you think. I understand why the Clippers did it.”

Here’s more on the Clippers:

Mark Medina of Sportsnaut writes that the Clippers’ acquisition of Harden is a big gamble that could result in a big payoff, while Jim Alexander of The Southern California News Group believes that it’s a roll of the dice that isn’t worth the risk.
While the trade between the Clippers and Sixers hasn’t been officially finalized and announced, Harden and P.J. Tucker arrived in Los Angeles on Tuesday and greeted their new teammates in the Clippers’ locker room, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Westbrook, who also played with Harden in Oklahoma City and Houston, told reporters with a smile that he wouldn’t discuss the trade until it was official, but didn’t dispute that he’s happy about the impending move. “Yeah,” he repeatedly said. “I mean, s–t, why wouldn’t I be? Yeah, excuse my language, but definitely, definitely happy.” Harden offered a briefer answer when asked by a reporter how excited he is to be a Clipper: “You don’t understand.”
Even before the acquisition of Harden, Westbrook had been happy playing for the Clippers, notes Youngmisuk (via Twitter). Asked on Tuesday about it, Westbrook said he’s grateful to have been embraced by the organization and has rediscovered the joy of playing basketball since joining the team last season.
There’s an expectation that the trade will become official on Wednesday, but Harden and Tucker likely won’t play in tonight’s game vs. the Lakers, per Youngmisuk. The Clippers will have four days off after Wednesday’s contest, which they can use to prepare their new-look roster for Monday’s game in New York.

Sixers Pick Up 2024/25 Option On Jaden Springer

October 31st, 2023 at 8:45pm CST by Rory Maher

8:45pm: Springer’s option has officially been exercised, per the Sixers.

8:25pm: The Sixers are picking up their fourth-year option on guard Jaden Springer, sources tell Kyle Neubeck and Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).

While most rookie scale option decisions are a formality, in part due to the relatively modest cap hits, there was some uncertainty about whether or not the Sixers would exercise their 2024/25 option on Springer — it will hurt their ability to maximize cap room next offseason, which is a priority for the front office. But evidently Philadelphia is high enough on Springer to pay him a guaranteed $4,018,363 next season.

Another reason there was a level of uncertainty on Springer’s fourth-year option is the fact that he only played 18 regular season games for a total of 95 minutes over his first two seasons. However, while Springer hasn’t had a regular role at the NBA level, he had a strong season with the Delaware Blue Coats (Philadelphia’s G League affiliate) in ’22/23, earning Finals MVP honors for the NBAGL champions.

The No. 28 overall pick of the 2021 draft after one college season at Tennessee, Springer was one of the youngest players in his draft class. He just turned 21 years old last month and is now in his third NBA season.

Under new head coach Nick Nurse, Springer played well during preseason action and has appeared in two of Philadelphia’s three games thus far in ’23/24, blocking three shots in 12 minutes of playing time. He recently talked about trying to stay ready despite an uncertain role.

The full list of ’24/25 rookie scale option decisions can be found right here.

Sixers Won’t Be Penalized For Harden’s Unavailability

October 31st, 2023 at 7:38pm CST by Rory Maher

The NBA has concluded its investigation into James Harden‘s absence last Thursday when the Sixers faced the Bucks on national television, according Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT, who reports (via Twitter) that Philadelphia isn’t expected to be penalized.

The league’s new player participation policy stipulates that players who have made All-Star or All-NBA teams within the past three seasons need to have an approved absence to miss national TV games. Harden was an All-Star in both 2021 and 2022.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN noted last week when the investigation began, injuries, personal reasons and rare or unusual circumstances are considered valid excuses for star players missing national TV games. Harden wasn’t hurt at the time, but the NBA may have justified a lack of punishment for either of the other two categories — Harden had been away from the team for personal reasons for 10 days leading up to that contest, and might not have been in game shape.

Since the Sixers are trading Harden to the Clippers, punishing Philadelphia for his absence last week probably would have just taken a little bit of shine off a major news story. That also may have played a factor in the league’s decision, but that’s just speculation on my part.

NBA Fines Joel Embiid $35K

October 31st, 2023 at 4:38pm CST by Rory Maher

The NBA has fined Sixers center Joel Embiid $35K for “repeatedly making an obscene gesture on the playing court,” the league announced on Tuesday (Twitter link).

The incident occurred late in the third quarter of Philadelphia’s home-opening win on Tuesday against Portland, with the reigning MVP making four consecutive crotch chops after making a basket while being fouled (Twitter video link via Rob Perez).

The reigning MVP is making $47.6MM this season, so the fine won’t impact him much financially. He’s under contract through 2027, though the final season is a player option.

Embiid is off to another strong start in 2023/24, averaging 31.0 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 7.0 APG, 1.0 SPG and 3.0 BPG on .547/.429/.654 shooting through three games. The 76ers are 2-1 and their next game is on Thursday vs. Toronto.

Of course, the biggest Sixers news on Tuesday came overnight, as James Harden got his wish and is being traded to the Clippers. You can find the details right here.

More Harden Trade Notes: Maxey, Tucker, Westbrook, More

October 31st, 2023 at 3:41pm CST by Luke Adams

After hearing about the trade that will send his former backcourt partner James Harden to Los Angeles, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey sent a message to the 10-time All-Star to thank him for everything he’s taught Maxey since they teamed up in 2022, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

“I texted him and I told him I love him, told him I appreciate him,” Maxey said. “One thing that he really installed in me is confidence. I’ve always been a confident person, but he made me be even more confident than I already was, and all I can do is appreciate him for that. He took me under his wing, taught me a lot of things as far as just being a professional in this league and how things go. So I appreciate him, and I love him. Same thing with Tuck (P.J. Tucker). Love those guys.”

While the trade with the Clippers will theoretically eliminate a “cloud of uncertainty” that had hung over the Sixers in recent months, Maxey believes the team had already been doing well in not letting the Harden saga become a distraction, per Bontemps.

“I think we’ve done a good job of keeping the main thing, the main thing, and I think that’s what’s gotten us all to a solid start,” Maxey said. “We have some really good guys that are focused, that are determined to go out there and play and, and show what we can do and, and coach that’s keeping our mind in the right place.”

Here are a few more notes on the Harden deal:

The first week of the regular season couldn’t have gone much better for Maxey, as he embraced the lead guard role and was named the Eastern Conference’s Player of the Week. Was his hot start the impetus for the Sixers to make their Harden move now? Dan Devine explores that topic in a column for Yahoo Sports.
While Tucker obviously isn’t the headliner in this trade, he may be the sort of versatile frontcourt defender that head coach Tyronn Lue has been seeking behind starting center Ivica Zubac, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. As Fischer observes, Patrick Beverley has long been a favorite of the Clippers’ front office and Tucker should bring a similar brand of toughness to the team.
What happens next for both the Clippers and Sixers will be crucial in determining whether the deal is a win, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who notes that Los Angeles now has several stars on potential expiring deals while Philadelphia will likely return to the trade market seeking another impact player. Hollinger also wonders if Russell Westbrook will assume a sixth man role for the Clippers rather than share the starting lineup with three ball-dominant players like Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George, and points out that the 76ers are a Furkan Korkmaz salary dump away from sneaking below the luxury tax line.
A Monday phone call between Sixers owner Josh Harris and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer helped push the deal over the finish line, according to Shams Charania of Stadium (Twitter video link).
Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports takes a look back at Harden’s tenure in Philadelphia, writing that the way it ended should come as no surprise.

Harden Trade Notes: TPE, Hard Cap, Sixers’ Next Targets, More

October 31st, 2023 at 11:15am CST by Luke Adams

The size of the traded player exception the Sixers create in their James Harden deal with the Clippers will depend on whether or not they’re comfortable being hard-capped at the first tax apron ($172.3MM), notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

Philadelphia could complete the trade using either the more lenient salary-matching rules for teams below both tax aprons or using the more restrictive matching rules for apron teams, which prohibit clubs from taking back more than 110% of their outgoing salary (plus $250K).

Going the latter route would result in a smaller trade exception ($6.8MM), but would avoid creating a hard cap; the former route would mean a bigger TPE ($11MM) but would leave Philadelphia just $2.8MM below a hard cap. I’d expect the 76ers – who want to make another trade or two before February’s deadline – to settle for the smaller TPE to avoid limiting their cap flexibility, but that’s just my speculation.

Here’s more on the Harden blockbuster:

Which players might the Sixers target in pre-deadline trades using the draft assets they’re acquiring for Harden? According to Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link), the “early chatter” on names to watch includes Bulls guard Zach LaVine and Raptors forward OG Anunoby. Based on Mannix’s wording, it sounds like that may just be speculation from rival executives rather than anything concrete from Sixers sources.
Zach Harper of The Athletic gives the Clippers a B-minus grade and the Sixers a C-minus grade for the trade, expressing surprise that Philadelphia didn’t get Terance Mann or Norman Powell as part of the return for Harden. In a separate Athletic story, Harper shares five reasons why he doesn’t love the deal for either side, including the fact that Russell Westbrook has played well since being traded to the Clippers and will now have his role adjusted.
While Harden and Westbrook will once again have to figure out how to coexist in a backcourt after stints together in Oklahoma City and Houston, there’s no conflict between the two guards, who have long “maintained a line of communication,” a league source tells Law Murray of The Athletic.
Filip Petrusev isn’t expected to be a contributor for the Clippers, a team source tells Murray. If Los Angeles were to waive the rookie big man, the team would open up a second spot on its 15-man roster and would only be on the hook for his partial guarantee ($559,782) rather than his full $1,119,563 salary, assuming that guarantee isn’t being increased as part of the trade.
In his story on the trade, Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times writes that the Clippers weren’t in “Harden-or-bust” mode. In fact, some people with the team believe L.A. came “extremely close” to winning the bidding for Jrue Holiday a few weeks ago, Greif writes. If the Clippers had landed Holiday, it’s unclear how the Harden saga would’ve been resolved.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Knicks, Mitchell, Thomas, Raptors

October 31st, 2023 at 8:29am CST by Luke Adams

The blockbuster trade sending James Harden from Philadelphia to Los Angeles is the culmination of a saga that made headlines for the last four months, but it’s only step one in the Sixers‘ latest plan for short- and long-term contention, says Sam Amick of The Athletic.

As Amick outlines, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey will attempt to use the draft assets he acquires from the Clippers to add another win-now piece to a roster that has gotten off to a pretty good start this season even without Harden in action.

In an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up on Tuesday morning (Twitter video link), Adrian Wojnarowski said that the Sixers feel as if they can now put together a trade package comparable to what Boston gave up to get Jrue Holiday earlier this month, though it remains to seen if a player of Holiday’s caliber – and fit – will become available prior to the February trade deadline.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Until he signs an extension with the Cavaliers or gets traded somewhere else, Donovan Mitchell will likely continue to be linked to the Knicks as a potential trade target, which his friend Josh Hart understands, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “He’s from New York. New York is never going to let that go away,” Hart said. “So you’ll never know what happens. That’s for the future, that’s for Knicks Twitter to talk about, and have rumors about, and put up stats of God knows what. But everyone knows that will be an underlying thing.”
Nets guard Cam Thomas, who recently had his 2024/25 option picked up, became the second-youngest player in NBA history to open the season with three consecutive 30-point games, per ESPN. The 22-year-old’s play has earned him praise from head coach Jacque Vaughn. “We know he has ability to score the basketball, but it has not been forced,” Vaughn said. “It’s been within the flow of the offense. And then at certain times when we need a bucket and he is capable of doing that also. So he is learning how to survey the game and when we need him to score and when he needs to facilitate.”
There was optimism entering the fall that new head coach Darko Rajakovic could help jump-start the Raptors‘ offense, which has struggled in recent years in half-court sets. But a week into the season, Toronto ranks dead last in the NBA in offensive rating (100.8). Regardless of whether it’s Pascal Siakam or Scottie Barnes leading the attack, the offense isn’t working, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic.

Sixers Notes: Oubre, Maxey, Embiid, Nurse, Springer

October 30th, 2023 at 3:57pm CST by Rory Maher

Forward Kelly Oubre will be looking to raise his stock in 2023/24 after signing a one-year deal with the Sixers for the veteran’s minimum last month. Speaking to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter video link), Oubre admitted free agency didn’t play out like he had hoped.

“It was very disheartening,” he said. “… I guess my efforts felt as if they were a little unappreciated. … I had to take that on the chin.”

While Oubre has come off the bench thus far with Philadelphia, he’s still receiving plenty of playing time through three games (29.3 minutes). He’s averaging 19.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 2.0 SPG on .500/.313/.933 shooting in the early going. The 27-year-old wing will be an unrestricted free agent again in 2024.

Here’s more on the Sixers:

The “free-flowing” offense deployed by new head coach Nick Nurse has benefited multiple players on the roster, with Joel Embiid becoming more of a play-maker and Eastern Conference player of the week Tyrese Maxey looking like an All-Star in James Harden‘s absence, writes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. If Harden does eventually play for Philadelphia this season, he’ll have to adapt to the new system instead of dominating the ball like he has become accustomed to, according to O’Connor. Maxey will hit restricted free agency next summer after the Sixers decided to preserve 2024 cap room by not giving the fourth-year guard a rookie scale extension.
Embiid’s early-season form suggests that he is embracing the changes Philadelphia made this offseason, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, who writes that the reigning MVP “seems unaffected” by the Harden situation. Embiid, who is averaging a career-best 7.0 assists per night through three games, finished with 35 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and six blocks in just 29 minutes in Sunday’s home-opening blowout win over Portland. “Good basketball to me means cutting, moving, guys getting off the ball, the ball is moving, the ball is not sticking, we’re playing together, we’re playing as a team,” he said.
Third-year guard Jaden Springer is finally receiving some playing time after appearing in just 18 NBA games for 95 total minutes over his first two regular seasons. Although Springer has made an impact with his shot blocking, he needs to cut down on fouls to earn more consistent minutes, observes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The 21-year-old had four fouls in under four minutes during the second quarter vs. Portland. “I’m trying to stay level-headed,” Springer said. “Every game is going to be different, not knowing when I’m going to get my call to play or not knowing what my minutes are going to be. But being ready for anything, whatever they throw at me.” The 76ers have until tomorrow to decide if they want to exercise their fourth-year option on Springer’s rookie scale contract.

Nikola Jokic, Tyrese Maxey Named Players Of The Week

October 30th, 2023 at 2:39pm CST by Rory Maher

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (Western Conference) and Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey (East) have been named the NBA’s players of the week, the league announced on Monday (via Twitter).

Jokic, the reigning Finals MVP, averaged 26.3 points, 13.0 rebounds and 7.7 assists in leading Denver to a perfect 3-0 record last week. The two-time regular season MVP posted a .615/.455/.769 shooting line for the 2022/23 NBA champions.

Maxey, who turns 23 on Saturday, is also off to an excellent start in ’23/24. He averaged 30.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists on .500/.560/.913 shooting as Philadelphia went 2-1 in the opening week of the season.

According to the NBA (Twitter links), the other nominees in the West were Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant, De’Aaron Fox, Paul George, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Zion Williamson, while Jalen Duren, Maxey’s teammate Joel Embiid, Tyrese Haliburton, Aaron Nesmith, Donovan Mitchell, Kristaps Porzingis and Franz Wagner were nominated in the East.

And-Ones: Resting Stars, Flagg, Doncic, Rookie Scale Extensions

October 30th, 2023 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA enacted a new player participation policy during the summer, but it hasn’t been effective in keeping stars on the court during the first week of the season, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Many of the league’s top players have already sat out games, either for rest purposes or minor injuries.

Vardon points to Sixers center Joel Embiid, who was nearly rested for the team’s home opener on Sunday. It was only the third game of the season, but Embiid played 35 minutes Saturday at Toronto, so coach Nick Nurse considered giving him the night off. Because it was a back-to-back situation, that wouldn’t have violated the new policy.

“There’s nothing injury-wise. We just played last night, traveled and all that stuff,” Nurse explained.

NBA executive vice president Joe Dumars has talked about wanting to re-establish the culture of an 82-game season, but Vardon notes that James Harden, Jimmy Butler, Devin Booker and Donovan Mitchell are among the players who have already missed games.

However, the policy is at least making teams think twice about keeping their best players out of action. Nurse admits it factored into his decision making when he opted to play Embiid on Sunday, and a source tells Vardon that the Heat checked with the league office before resting Butler in Saturday’s game.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Cooper Flagg, who is expected to be the top pick in the 2025 NBA draft, has announced that he will play college basketball at Duke, per Jeff Borzello of ESPN. The 16-year-old high school star revealed his choice in a commitment video, choosing the Blue Devils over Connecticut. Flagg opted to reclassify in August and will head to college next fall. “After I got on campus, I really started to envision myself in Durham,” Flagg said in his video. “All the love I felt made me really excited, seeing all the Crazies and the atmosphere in Cameron. I’m honored that I have the opportunity to join the Brotherhood.”
NBA executives chose Mavericks guard Luka Doncic as the league’s best player under 25 years old, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Doncic narrowly edged Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama for the honor, with one executive calling him “an elite offense all by himself.” Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Grizzlies guard Ja Morant and Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley rounded out the top five.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report grades this year’s rookie scale extensions, which had to be finalized by last Monday, based on their benefit to both the players and their teams.

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