James Harden has been traded to the LA Clippers. The former MVP has been subject to a drawn-out trade saga throughout the offseason. However, the Philadelphia 76ers have finally settled on a trade package, and Harden will be teaming up with former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook in the City of Angeles.
Harden has one year left on his current deal. He will earn $35.6 million this season. The veteran guard will then become an unrestricted free agent. At the time of writing, the Clippers trade package for Harden hasn't been released. However, Los Angeles will likely have been reluctant to part with too many assets for a player who can leave in the summer.
Despite his undoubted talent, Harden has a reputation for disrupting franchises once he becomes unhappy. The Clippers are in their final season of sharing an arena with the Los Angeles Lakers. They will move to their own arena next summer. Steve Ballmer wants the Clippers to be contending for championships.
The trio of Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George has looked solid to begin the season. Adding Harden can supercharge the team's offense. Ty Lue will need to figure out how he will get the best from his four-star talents. It may be a case of too many mouths to feed.
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James Harden has recently returned to game-shape
After returning to Philadelphia at the start of the season, James Harden was kept away from the team as he worked on getting his fitness back. The former MVP had missed most of training camp and was away from the team.
Now that Harden is close to full fitness, he will likely be slotted into the Clippers rotation at the earliest opportunity. Ty Lue will want to determine what combinations and lineups work so the Clippers can continue building good habits and stringing together impressive performances.
James Harden isn't the superstar scorer he once was. However, he is one of the best playmakers in the NBA. His ability to lead an offense as an on-ball creator is incredibly valuable, especially in the half-court.
Yet, Russell Westbrook has been flourishing in a ball-dominant role for the Clippers. Harden may be better suited as a catch-and-shoot threat for his new team.
It will be interesting to see how Ty Lue utilizes the talent at his disposal and, more importantly, how they all gel together on the court. James Harden's arrival in Los Angeles gives the Clippers a chance to dominate. It also gives them a chance to struggle as there are only so many touches to go around.
Hollywood just got another star. Now, we wait and see how the storyline plays out.
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