The long-standing game of chicken between the 76ers and Clippers ended Tuesday with the two teams agreeing to a deal that will send disgruntled guard James Harden to L.A. Details of the still-fluid deal: Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum, KJ Martin, two first-round picks, two second-rounders and a pick swap to Sixers for Harden, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrušev.
It’s the two first-rounders that’s notable. In discussions with the Clippers, the Sixers had insisted on either two first-round picks or one first and Terance Mann, the dynamic fifth-year guard. Los Angeles has long declared Mann off-limits and until this week held firm on one first-round pick. On Tuesday, after some maneuvering with Oklahoma City, which owns most of the Clips’ draft capital dating back to the Paul George trade, L.A. was able to acquire a second first—well reacquire, since the Clippers reportedly are trading Philadelphia the first-round pick they originally shipped to OKC—and get the deal done.
Early read: Big win for Philadelphia. The Sixers now have two Clippers first-round picks (in 2026 and ’28) that are going to be hugely appealing on the trade market. L.A. is an aging team that might be one significant injury from a rebuild. Philadelphia, which has two cornerstone players in Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, can spend the next few months shopping as veteran talent becomes available.
