P.J. Tucker

Charania’s Latest: Siakam, Bulls, Tucker, Vincent, Morant, Grizzlies

December 11th, 2023 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Rival teams believe Pascal Siakam is the most likely player to be traded if the Raptors decide to break up their core, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Charania identifies the Hawks, Kings and Pacers as “expected suitors” for either Siakam or OG Anunoby. Atlanta had “intense conversations” with Toronto during the offseason about a potential Siakam deal, and Sacramento and Indiana have both reached out to the Raptors about his availability over the past year, according to Charania. However, he adds that the Kings are becoming more confident that they can develop into a contender with their current roster and may be less likely to pursue a major trade.

Both players are headed toward free agency next summer, with Siakam on a $37.9MM expiring contract and Anunoby holding a $19.9MM player option for 2024/25 that he’s virtually certain to decline. Toronto’s front office might be more aggressive about seeking a trade after losing free agent Fred VanVleet this offseason, but a rival executive tells Charania to expect “a game of chicken” from the Raptors all the way to the deadline.

Charania offers an inside look at several other teams:

The Bulls have won four straight games without Zach LaVine, but his injury setback is expected to slow down any progress toward a trade. Charania identifies the Lakers and Sixers as potential destinations, but adds that both teams are being patient while considering their options. Several teams have called about Alex Caruso, league sources tell Charania, but Chicago’s front office has no interest in moving him.
P.J. Tucker is unhappy with his current situation, and the Clippers are working with him to resolve it, either by giving him a larger role or moving him elsewhere, according to Charania. Tucker, who came to L.A. in the James Harden trade, hasn’t played since November 27 and is mainly serving as a mentor to the team’s younger players. Charania hears that multiple contenders are keeping an eye on Tucker’s potential availability.
The Lakers could have Gabe Vincent back on the court by next Monday, sources tell Charania. After signing as a free agent this summer, Vincent has been dealing with a left knee effusion that has limited him to four games.
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant “looks good” as he prepares to return from his suspension, according to Charania’s sources. Commissioner Adam Silver said over the weekend that Morant “has complied with everything he’s been asked to do.” He could be cleared to return as early as December 19 for a game at New Orleans.
The Grizzlies will have to remove someone from their roster when Morant is reinstated, and they would prefer to keep veteran center Bismack Biyombo, according to Charania. Memphis signed Biyombo to a one-year, $5MM contract after an injury sidelined Steven Adams for the season, and he has been a capable fill-in, averaging 6.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.25 blocks in 15 games. Sources tell Charania that Memphis has been active in trade talks around the league involving other players on its roster.

Clippers Notes: Brown, Harden, Powell, Consistency, Primo

December 8th, 2023 at 8:06pm CST by Rory Maher

Clippers forward Kobe Brown has usurped P.J. Tucker in the team’s rotation of late, per Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Brown, who was the final first-round pick of this year’s draft (30th overall), is receiving a rare opportunity for a Clippers rookie, Greif writes, as L.A. has been focused on contending in recent years — its young players typically receive playing time in the G League instead of the NBA.

That was also the case for Brown prior to the trade for James Harden, which saw the Clippers send out four forwards and only receive one in return (Tucker), creating a void at the position. The 23-year-old said his time with the Ontario Clippers was beneficial, Greif notes.

“The G League definitely helped, a lot,” he said. “It’s the same stuff we do with the big team but the games are a lot slower, at least in my opinion, so you’re able to grasp onto stuff we’re doing a lot easier so when you come back up it’s like, everything slows down a little bit for me. That’s been the biggest thing for me, really.”

Brown’s statistics have been modest to this point, which is to be expected with so many ball-dominant players on the roster. But the team likes his versatility, and head coach Tyronn Lue has been encouraging him to remain confident even when he makes mistakes, according to Greif.

Here’s more on the Clippers:

L.A. reeled off six straight losses after acquiring Harden, but the Clippers have gone 7-3 over their past 10 games and are back at .500 with a 10-10 record. What has led to the turnaround? Law Murray of The Athletic explores that topic, writing that Harden is regaining his form, Norman Powell continues to provide a lift off the bench, and players growing more comfortable in their roles have all played factors in the team’s improved play.
Despite recent comeback wins over Golden State and Denver, the Clippers are still searching for consistency, Greif writes for The Los Angeles Times (subscription required). Evaluating the team through 20 games is nearly impossible because of all the changes to the roster and rotation, says Greif, but one thing seems certain — avoiding playing Harden and Russell Westbrook together is a must, with Lue saying the team plans to stagger their minutes late in games.
Guard Joshua Primo won’t face charges after being accused of “exposing himself to one individual” five different times over the course of several months, Greif tweets. The Bexar County District Attorney’s office cited a lack of evidence as the reason why Primo won’t be charged with a crime. The 20-year-old was given a second chance this fall by the Clippers after being waived by San Antonio last year for engaging in “inappropriate and offensive behavior by exposing himself to women.” The NBA imposed a four-game suspension and Primo has been undergoing therapy for his behavior, which allegedly included multiple incidents with Dr. Hillary Cauthen, a sports psychologist who worked for the Spurs during his time with the organization.

Pacific Notes: Len, Hood-Schifino, Tucker, Harden

November 14th, 2023 at 8:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kings reserve center Alex Len has been diagnosed with a moderate high right ankle sprain, James Ham of The Kings Beat relays (Twitter link). Len underwent an MRI after suffering the injury against Cleveland on Monday. He was ruled out for Wednesday’s game against the Lakers and the club will provide further updates when appropriate.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Lakers rookie guard Jalen Hood-Schifino has yet to make his NBA debut but he’s getting closer. Sidelined by a right patella contusion, Hood-Schifino went through full-court drills on Tuesday, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin tweets in a video post. The 17th pick of the draft out of Indiana University, Hood-Schifino could see immediate playing time with Gabe Vincent out with a knee injury.
Clippers forward P.J. Tucker is used to playing 25-to-30 minutes per night, but has only averaged 14.4 minutes in five games since being traded by Philadelphia in the James Harden blockbuster. Tucker is hoping that changes soon, but is willing to do what the team asks of him, he told Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “I went from 30 minutes starting to playing 10 minutes coming off the bench,” Tucker said. “It’s a huge adjustment for me. I probably have the most adjustment than anybody, but I’m a professional. I come in and do my job every night, do my job and leave it out there on the court in the time I get.”
Don’t give up on the Clippers, even if they’ve lost five straight in the aftermath of the Harden trade, Michael Pina of The Ringer writes. He argues that the strong connection between Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and the team’s overall talent will supersede any chemistry issues created by Harden’s presence.

Clippers Notes: Harden, Rotation, Westbrook, Plumlee

November 11th, 2023 at 7:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers are winless since trading for James Harden and P.J. Tucker on November 1 and they don’t appear close to having a cohesive rotation, writes Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Greif notes that Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook are still figuring out how they’ll work together after being primary scorers throughout their careers.

Coach Tyronn Lue made an adjustment Friday in Dallas, Greif adds, taking George and Westbrook out of the game earlier than usual in the first quarter and having them replace Harden and Leonard later on. A lineup with George, Westbrook, Tucker, Norman Powell and Terance Mann was outscored by nine points in two minutes, but Lue indicated that he wants to give that combination more opportunities to succeed.

“At some point it’s going to work and nobody’s going to talk about the rotations and guys on the floor and personnel,” George said. “And at some point we’re going to figure it out.”

Harden also remains confident, telling reporters, including Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link), “For me individually, this is only my third game. I didn’t have a training camp, I didn’t have a preseason, so everything is still moving fast speed for me. I need about a 10-game window then kind of see where I am from there.”

There’s more on the Clippers:

Lue believes he needs to keep a center on the court to maximize Harden’s pick-and-roll abilities, but Mann, a 6’5″ swingman, started in the middle ahead of Ivica Zubac to begin the second half Friday, Greif adds. Lue dismissed it as a desperation move, saying he wanted to try something different with a 30-point deficit. L.A. is missing its normal backup center, Mason Plumlee, who is expected to be sidelined for a significant part of the season with an MCL sprain in his left knee.
Westbrook has been most impacted by the addition of Harden, Greif observes. He’s averaging 32 fewer touches in the three games that Harden has played, compared to 14 fewer for Leonard and seven fewer for George. In a full story, Murray suggests that Lue is unlikely to remove Westbrook from the starting lineup, so it might be up to the front office to determine Westbrook’s future with the team.
Before being injured, Plumlee talked to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype about why he decided to re-sign with the Clippers this summer. “I feel like in the whole time I’ve been in the league, there’s been one team (Denver in the 2020 Western Conference Finals) I’ve been on where I felt like we had a chance to win the whole thing,” Plumlee said. “This was another one of those chances. It took a little bit of sacrifice to choose to come back here, but it’s been well worth it and makes it fun to come in each day.”

Knicks Notes: Embiid, Barrett, Robinson, Storylines

November 8th, 2023 at 10:49pm CST by Rory Maher

With all of their own first-round picks and swaps, plus some additional draft capital, the Knicks have been linked to multiple stars over the past year-plus, including Joel Embiid. The reigning MVP’s former Sixers teammate, P.J. Tucker, says Embiid is well aware of the rumors, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

“Of course, he hears it,” Tucker said Monday. “But you never know with these situations and how it’s going to play out, what guys are thinking, what’s happening behind closed doors. You never know.”

As Bondy notes, Embiid would have to request a trade for there to even be a remote chance of him landing in New York, and with the 76ers off to a 6-1 start, there’s certainly no indication that’s in the cards anytime soon. Tucker says any outside perception of dysfunction in Philadelphia is misguided.

“It wasn’t like that all,” he said. “The media is going to spin it how you want. But Philly has got a good team. We had a good team. … I think all the noise was just that: just noise.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

RJ Barrett has played well in each of the past two games since returning from a left knee injury, which the team has called patellar tendinopathy. As Ian Begley of SNY.tv writes, Barrett says he’s going to have to play through some soreness “for a little bit,” with the injury a result of wear and tear rather than a specific incident. “I’m going to have to live with the pain,” Barrett said. “Got to be mentally tough, fight through it.”
Center Mitchell Robinson is averaging a career-best 12.4 rebounds through eight games, drawing praise from head coach Tom Thibodeau in the process. “I think the big thing is it’s not just the offense. He’s added the defensive rebounding, he’s been a monster on the boards,” Thibodeau said, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. “I think he’s the best offensive rebounder, we already established that. And then now he’s fourth in the league in rebounding. Every night he’s got bodies on him and he’s done a great job for us.”
Robinson’s incredible offensive rebounding prowess and improved “discipline and physicality” on defense are among the early-season storylines explored by Fred Katz of The Athletic, with Barrett also earning a spot due to his evolution as a decision-maker. Robinson’s defensive effort on Victor Wembanyama during Wednesday’s dismantling of the Spurs was particularly noteworthy, writes Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link).

Western Notes: Kings, Tucker, McCollum, JRE, Thunder

November 7th, 2023 at 12:59pm CST by Luke Adams

With De’Aaron Fox on the shelf due to a right ankle sprain, the Kings are struggling to establish their identity and display the sort of physicality and stalwart defense that head coach Mike Brown wants to see, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. After suffering back-to-back blowouts to the Rockets in Houston on Saturday and Monday, Brown suggested changes might be coming to the rotation.

“I’ve got to evaluate some things,” Brown said. “In this business, you always have to have a sense of urgency, but you have to believe in what you do whenever you make any type of change or any time you do this instead of that. For me, I’m going to go back and I’m going to watch the film, and if I feel the same way after the film, then I’ve got to try to make sure I keep trying to put five guys out there who are going to do what we ask, which is to play together and play the right way while playing fast and bringing a sense of physicality.

“I always have a 24-hour rule, especially after something like this,” Brown continued. “So, I’m going to sleep on it and I’m going to watch this film, and if you earn a chance to play, I’m going to play you. Nobody’s position on this team is sacred.”

The Kings, winners of 48 games last season, are off to a 2-4 start in 2023/24 and rank 22nd in the NBA in defensive rating (114.0).

Let’s round up a few more notes from around the Western Conference…

New Clippers forward P.J. Tucker admitted on Monday that, despite the trade rumors that swirled around teammate James Harden all offseason, he hadn’t anticipated being part of a Harden deal. “I wasn’t expecting to get traded, so I didn’t know,” Tucker told Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “It kind of came out of nowhere.”
Pelicans head coach Willie Green told reporters on Monday that the team doesn’t have any new details on CJ McCollum‘s collapsed right lung, but expressed optimism that the ailment isn’t too serious, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “We don’t think it’s too bad,” Green said. “But we have to run more tests and see where we are after that.” As Clark observes, McCollum dealt with a similar health issue during his time in Portland and it cost him 18 games.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl‘s two-way contract with the Pelicans is just a rest-of-season deal, Hoops Rumors has learned. That means Robinson-Earl will be eligible for restricted free agency at the end of the 2023/24 season, assuming he plays out his new contract.
Some rival scouts and executives think the Thunder are capable of being a top-four seed in the West this season, but head of basketball operations Sam Presti is preaching patience and appears in no rush to accelerate his team’s contention timeline, as Tim MacMahon details in an interesting feature for ESPN.com.

Pacific Notes: Gordon, Tucker, Harden, Hachimura, Vanderbilt, Kerr

November 1st, 2023 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Injuries to Devin Booker and Bradley Beal have forced Eric Gordon to take on a larger role than he was expecting in his first few games with the Suns, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Gordon has made three starts already and ranks third on the team in scoring at 16.5 PPG. He’s also the team leader with 11 made three-pointers while seeing time at both guard positions.

“I am always comfortable. On a lot of teams I have been on, I have played a little bit of point guard and little bit of shooting guard,” Gordon said. “Even in playoffs and a lot of tough circumstances, and that is why I am here. Whoever is in and out I want to keep playing at a high level to where down the line, wherever it ends up being, whatever tough situation I will still find myself to be able to do well.”

The Suns have championship aspirations after trading for Beal and revamping their bench this summer, but they’re off to a 2-2 start. Gordon believes things will get easier once everyone becomes accustomed to playing together.

“There’s a lot of new guys. We’re all getting acclimated to one another,” he said. “I expect to just continue to get better as long as the games get better, as long as we play more games. Our chemistry’s getting better as you see. I’m definitely going to get shots and I’m gonna knock them down. Those (first) two games, things happen in this league, but the year goes along I expect to continue to shoot pretty well.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Coach Tyronn Lue expects P.J. Tucker to play tonight in his first game with the Clippers, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Lue told reporters that the process has already begun to integrate Tucker and James Harden, who were acquired in a trade with the Sixers that wasn’t finalized until this morning, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link). “It’s going to take some time, understanding process, rotations,” Lue said, “… but we’re excited about it … it’s going to take sacrifice whether shots … they’re willing to do it.” Also speaking to the media before tonight’s game, team president Lawrence Frank said Clippers officials studied how Harden adjusted his game when he was with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn and how he adapted to playing alongside Joel Embiid in Philadelphia (Twitter link).
Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, who’s missing his second straight game tonight, saw a specialist after he began to develop concussion symptoms, coach Darvin Ham said in his pre-game press conference (Twitter link from Dave McMenamin). Ham also said Jarred Vanderbilt, who has yet to play this season because of bursitis in his left heel, is making progress but is still limited to stationary drills.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr tells Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area that the 2022 championship was a “surprise” because the team hadn’t been at that level the previous two seasons.

Sixers Trade James Harden To Clippers In Three-Team Deal

November 1st, 2023 at 10:45am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

NOVEMBER 1: The trade is official, according to press releases from all three teams. The terms of the deal are as follows:

Clippers acquire James Harden, P.J. Tucker, and Filip Petrusev.
Sixers acquire Marcus Morris; Nicolas Batum; Robert Covington; Kenyon Martin Jr.; the Clippers’ 2028 first-round pick (unprotected); either the Rockets’ (top-four protected), Clippers’, or Thunder’s 2026 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable); the right to swap their own 2029 first-round pick with the Clippers’ 2029 first-round pick (top-three protected); a 2024 second-round pick (details below); the Clippers’ 2029 second-round pick; and cash ($2MM; from Clippers).
- Note: The 2024 second-round pick acquired by the Sixers will be either the Raptors’, Pacers’, Jazz’s, or Cavaliers’ pick, whichever is most favorable. If either the Jazz’s or Cavaliers’ pick is the most favorable, Philadelphia would instead receive the second-most favorable of the four.
Thunder acquire the right to swap either their own 2027 first-round pick or the Nuggets’ 2027 first-round pick (top-five protected) for the Clippers’ 2027 first-round pick (unprotected) and cash ($1.1MM; from Clippers).

As expected, Danny Green was waived by the Sixers in order to make room for the incoming players.

Harden received the maximum portion of his trade bonus ($40,595) that he could while still making the deal legal for salary-matching purposes, Hoops Rumors has learned.

OCTOBER 31: The Sixers are shipping star guard James Harden to the Clippers, his latest destination of choice, sources inform Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

According to Wojnarowski, Philadelphia is sending out Harden, veteran forward P.J. Tucker and rookie center Filip Petrusev to Los Angeles in exchange for forwards Kenyon Martin Jr., Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum and Robert Covington, plus some significant future draft equity.

The 76ers will receive the Clippers’ 2028 unprotected first-round draft pick, two second-rounders and a 2029 pick swap, as well as an additional first-round pick. That extra first-round pick the Sixers are acquiring in the blockbuster deal is a 2026 first-rounder that had been controlled by the Thunder, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), the Thunder will receive a 2027 first-round pick swap from the Clippers in exchange for that 2026 first-rounder. Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports reports (via Twitter) that the 2026 first-round selection the Thunder are trading to Philadelphia will be the least favorable of the Clippers’ pick, OKC’s own pick, and Houston’s selection (top-four protected).

The two second-round picks the Clippers are trading to the Sixers are 2024 and 2029 selections, sources tell Wojnarowski. The ’29 pick will be Los Angeles’ own, but the Clips have already traded away their own 2024 second-round pick, so the other second-rounder in this deal will be one of two others that L.A. controls (one is Toronto’s pick; the other could be Indiana’s, Utah’s, or Cleveland’s).

Philadelphia wing Danny Green is being cut to create an open roster spot for the new additions from the Clippers, sources tell Wojnarowski. Green’s salary had only been partially guaranteed for $200K.

According to Wojnarowski, the Sixers and Clippers – who have had conversations about Harden for months – began talking again over the weekend following L.A.’s recent “pause” in negotiations, with Philadelphia recognizing it was becoming increasingly untenable to incorporate Harden back into its lineup.

This will bring the latest Harden trade request saga to a close. The 10-time All-Star opted into the final season of his current contract, worth $35.6MM, and immediately requested a trade rather than joining a new team in free agency. It was the third time in three years that he had sought a change of scenery via trade — he was originally dealt from Houston to Brooklyn in 2021, then from Brooklyn to Philadelphia in 2022.

Following his June trade request, Harden made some explosive comments over the summer about Sixers team president Daryl Morey, calling him a “liar” and saying he had no intention of being part of the same organization as Morey. When the NBA launched an investigation into those comments, Harden informed league investigators that he called Morey a liar because he told the former MVP he’d be traded “quickly” after he asked to be moved. The incident cost him $100K.

Harden skipped media day and the first day of training camp before reporting to the 76ers this fall. He participated in just one 5-on-5 scrimmage and no preseason games before leaving the team again for what was described as a personal matter, only to return after a 10-day absence. He has missed all of Philadelphia’s regular season games to this point as he continues to ramp up to game shape.

Harden struggled with injuries in 2022/23. Though the 34-year-old was clearly no longer in his athletic prime, he remained his prolific self while playing alongside eventual MVP Joel Embiid. Across 58 regular season contests, he averaged 21.0 points per game on .441/.385/.867 shooting, also contributing 10.7 assists, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per night.

According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Harden is “ecstatic” to be joining the Clippers alongside fellow Southern California natives Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook. Los Angeles has long sought a play-making point guard who can stretch the floor alongside its two star forwards and will now insert Harden into that role for at least the 2023/24 season.

Harden is on an expiring contract and won’t become extension-eligible before reaching unrestricted free agency next July. Leonard, George, and Westbrook all have 2024/25 player options, so they could also hit the open market after the season if things don’t go well in L.A., though Leonard and George remain eligible to sign extensions before then.

Harden is hoping to fly to Los Angeles right away and there’s a chance he’ll attend the Clippers’ home game against Orlando on Tuesday, Shelburne adds, though it will likely still be a few days before he makes his debut for his new team.

It remains to be seen whether or not the Clippers will hang onto Petrusev, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic, though Tucker is in their plans.

While the Sixers won’t land Terance Mann – whose inclusion in the deal was long believed to be a sticking point – they’ll acquire four players on expiring contracts and get out from under Tucker’s 2024/25 player option, further increasing their cap flexibility for the summer of 2024. They project to have between $50-65MM in space next offseason, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

The draft assets and expiring contracts the Sixers are acquiring from Los Angeles also put Philadelphia in position to make another pre-deadline trade to further reinforce its roster. The 76ers are expected to scour the trade market for another “high-level guard,” writes Wojnarowski.

The four players the Sixers are adding in this deal will be ineligible to have their salaries aggregated in a separate trade for the next two months, but could be flipped immediately as long as they’re not being combined with other players for salary-matching purposes.

Meanwhile, as Marks observes (via Twitter), Harden’s contract includes a $5.1MM trade bonus, which Philadelphia would be responsible for paying. However, based on the terms that have been reported so far, he would have to waive most or all of that bonus for the trade to be legal.

The Clippers’ projected luxury tax bill is projected to increase by approximately $29MM once the deal is finalized, Marks adds (via Twitter), while the Sixers’ projected tax bill will dip by $13.4MM.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

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.

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.

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