With James Harden traded to the Clippers, what’s next for the 76ers? | Good Word with Goodwill
Yahoo Sports NBA writer Vince Goodwill and Jake Fischer hop on the “Good Word With Goodwill” podcast to discuss their initial reaction to the Philadelphia 76ers trade for James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers for a package of players and draft capital, and debate what the next move might be for the 76ers to build around reigning MVP Joel Embiid.
Hear the full conversation on “Good Word with Goodwill” - part of the “Ball Don’t Lie” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
VINCENT GOODWILL: Welcome in to Yahoo Sports. Vincent Goodwill and Jake Fischer here with you. Jake, the long nightmare is over. James Harden has finally been traded to the Los Angeles clippers for a package of players that does not include Terance Mann, but it does include a package of players and picks-- way too many to name. Your initial reaction upon this after midnight trade?
JAKE FISCHER: My initial reaction is something must have changed. The last I had heard was that the Clippers called Philly. They kind of made another last ditch offer, and talks were dead-- that the Clippers would need to be the ones to re-stoke these calls and get something to happen, where they had tried to take this 2030 future pick and turn that into additional first round capital. Now, it seems like we're still waiting for all the final details to come together.
But it seems pretty clear at this juncture that the Clippers were able to send a 2027 pick swap to the Oklahoma City Thunder, which builds off of the Paul George trade that keeps on giving for OKC. Because the clippers. Already sent a 2026 unprotected pick to the Thunder. Either that pick or some other 2026 picks that the Thunder have will go to Philly as part of this deal.
So my first reaction, really, after sifting through those details, is I think it's a win for all sides. Do you see something different, Vinnie? Because to me, the Sixers got the two picks that they really wanted plus another swap from the Clippers. The Clippers get James Harden. They also get PJ Tucker, who was kind of like a salary dump for Philly, but I could see another veteran contending team talking themselves into a near 40-year-old PJ Tucker being a contributor. So what say you about any winners and losers here?
VINCENT GOODWILL: I'll tell you who the loser is, our buddy Daryl, because that's what it seems like. You said you feel like something happened. I'll tell you what I believe happened. I believe this was an ownership trade-- matter of fact, that's what was I told.
JAKE FISCHER: Could have been.
VINCENT GOODWILL: I was told this was an ownership trade. This was not a Daryl Morey trade. And if that's the case, if the owners were pissed that Daryl Morey had just let this thing drag out-- and he was supposed to play in the next game after the ramp up and everything else-- then it sounds like someone was very upset that this thing had dragged on through the lengths that it had, that the people part of this had gotten so ugly that it disrupted the basketball, and maybe, just maybe, they looked at Tyrese Maxey and said, you know what? Maybe this Eastern Conference Player of the Week is actually pretty good and maybe we don't need James Harden as much-- I still think Daryl is going to try to flip the Marcus Morrises of the world--
JAKE FISCHER: Oh, yes, he will.
VINCENT GOODWILL: Into a real player, into a superstar-- who that superstar is, I don't know. But I wonder if Daryl actually has the flex and the leeway to actually do it. I actually do think that this is a signal for something greater. And I'm very curious what Joel Embiid thinks about all this.
JAKE FISCHER: No, that's the big takeaway from here. It's "what's next" typically is how we look at these things. The Sixers didn't really want Terance Mann. They wanted enough back in terms of trade ammunition to go out and get a third star to replace James Harden. And they weren't getting that from the Clippers, but now-- I mean, my sense is I don't think this is going to be an immediate, you know, hunt to go find that third guy.
I think, you know, December 15, when more players become available for trade after contracts that were signed this summer become eligible to be moved, as we get closer to February, especially with Maxey playing as well, as you're alluding to, I think that could potentially buy Philly some time, because they want to wait out and see who the next James Harden will be. And maybe, you know, when Damian Lillard requests a trade, and Jrue Holiday suddenly becomes available, now with this pick capital, they'll be able to be at the front of the line to get someone of that magnitude that might not be available now.
VINCENT GOODWILL: And the bottom line of this is this-- unless they get a massive, massive superstar, the Philadelphia 76ers are still worlds behind the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference, which is where they do not want to be.