The Philadelphia 76ers have officially completed the highly anticipated trade, sending James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers. In exchange, the Clippers offered Marcus Morris, Nic Batum, Robert Covington, KJ Martin, several draft picks, and a pick swap to the 76ers.
The deal came together swiftly after the two teams failed to reach an agreement during the offseason. Harden, who has not yet played in the 2023-24 NBA season, is expected to make his debut for the Clippers, likely in their Wednesday game against the Los Angeles Lakers or the following Monday against the New York Knicks.
Although the trade was expected for some time, it remains a surprising shift for Harden to move from one contender to another. While the spotlight has been on Harden, players like Morris have expressed satisfaction with the trade, sharing his thoughts on Instagram, according to NBACentral.
In his post, Morris shared a picture of himself with Meek Mill’s song “Left Hollywood” playing in the background. The song’s title, “Left Hollywood,” resonates with Morris’ departure from Los Angeles, and the lyrics—“I had to get out of Hollywood, get back to the trenches. They said they need me”—highlight the theme of returning home.
As a Philadelphia native, the trade brings Morris back to his roots and offers him the chance to contribute to a team still vying for a championship.
Though rumors circulated that the Clippers were planning to trade Morris during last season’s trade deadline, the two sides officially part ways more than six months later.
