With James Harden still wanting to get traded to the Los Angeles Clippers and the New York Knicks being linked to Joel Embiid, we came up with a four-team wild blockbuster trade idea involving the Clippers, Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Detroit Pistons.
The 2023-24 NBA season has started, and James Harden’s trade request has still not been taken care of. Harden, who wants the Philadelphia 76ers to trade him to the Los Angeles Clippers, has been trying to get traded since June, but Philadelphia president Daryl Morey won’t trade The Beard unless he gets a massive haul.
Harden isn’t the only player on the Sixers whose name has come up in trade rumors. Reigning MVP Joel Embiid has been heavily linked to the New York Knicks, who have made acquiring Embiid their No. 1 priority, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Since Harden wants out of Philadelphia and New York badly wants to acquire Embiid, we have come up with a four-team blockbuster trade proposal that would certainly shake up the NBA.
New York Knicks Receive: Joel Embiid, Bojan Bogdanovic
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Nicolas Batum
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: James Harden
Detroit Pistons Receive: Robert Covington, Terance Mann, Immanuel Quickley
Not only does this four-team trade proposal work under CBA rules, but it also helps each team in different aspects, both in the short and long term.
The New York Knicks Acquire A Superstar And A Sharpshooter
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New York Knicks president Leon Rose used to be Joel Embiid’s agent at CAA. Some NBA executives think Embiid could request a trade from the Sixers sooner rather than later since James Harden has asked for a trade and Philadelphia hasn’t gotten past the second round of the playoffs in the Embiid era, which began in 2014-15.
NBA insider Chris Broussard reported that Embiid wants to play for the Knicks. Embiid signed a four-year, $210 million contract extension in 2021 with the Sixers. The Knicks are “keeping an eye” on Embiid’s future, according to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, in the wake of Harden asking for a trade.
If New York acquired Embiid and Bojan Bogdanovic, head coach Tom Thibodeau could start Jalen Brunson, Quentin Grimes, Bogdanovic, Evan Fournier, and Embiid.
Embiid averaged 33.1 points and 10.2 rebounds last season. He won the MVP Award. Meanwhile, Bogdanovic averaged 21.6 points while shooting 41.1% from beyond the arc.
The Philadelphia 76ers Acquire An All-Star And Three Role Players
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If the Philadelphia 76ers are forced to trade Joel Embiid, getting Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, and Mitchell Robinson from the New York Knicks and Nicolas Batum from the Los Angeles Clippers wouldn’t be a terrible return. The Sixers would also get multiple draft picks from the Knicks.
Randle averaged 25.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists last season for the Knicks, Barrett averaged 19.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, Robinson averaged 7.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks and Batum averaged 6.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists for the Clippers.
The Sixers could start Tyrese Maxey, Barrett, Kelly Oubre Jr., Tobias Harris, and Randle and bring Batum off the bench. New head coach Nick Nurse could install an offense around those five players and Philadelphia would be drama-free with both James Harden and Embiid gone.
The Los Angeles Clippers At Long Last Get James Harden
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James Harden averaged 21.0 points and 10.7 assists last season. He led the NBA in assists per game for the second time in his career. Harden played with Clippers point guard Russell Westbrook on the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets and has a rapport with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Harden was also 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 and raised in Los Angeles, California.
The Clippers, who have never reached the NBA Finals in franchise history, could start Harden, Westbrook, George, Leonard, and Ivica Zubac.
The Clippers are interested in acquiring Harden from the Sixers and Malcolm Brogdon from the Portland Trail Blazers. But according to Zach Lowe of ESPN, the Clippers want Harden more than they want Brogdon.
“The Clippers want Harden,” Lowe said on his podcast. “It’s a real thing. They want Harden. They want him more than they want Malcolm Brogdon. Pretty confident in that. And the fact that they’re this interested in Harden — interested enough to throw out an unprotected pick or whatever it is, whatever offer they’ve thrown out — I think is a vote of slight anxiety at the very least that their team as presently constructed is simply not good enough to win the title.”
Harden is one of the best playmakers in NBA history. He would make life easier for Leonard and George on offense, especially in the playoffs since the game slows down in the postseason and half-court execution is at a premium.
The Detroit Pistons Land Two Talented Young Guards
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Acquiring Terance Mann from the Los Angeles Clippers and Immanuel Quickley from the New York Knicks would be a huge get for the Detroit Pistons, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2019. Both Mann and Quickley are talented young guards who have yet to hit their prime.
For the Clippers last season, Mann averaged 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists. Meanwhile, for the Knicks, Quickley averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists. He will become a restricted free agent next offseason.
The Pistons could start Cade Cunningham, Mann, rookie Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart, and Jalen Duren and bring Quickleyuickles off the bench. Detroit would also acquire Robert Covington in our trade proposal. The veteran averaged 6.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists for the Clippers last season.
This Four-Team Trade Proposal Would Cause Significant NBA Shockwaves
This four-team trade proposal would cause significant shockwaves in the NBA. Joel Embiid going to the New York Knicks and James Harden landing with the Los Angeles Clippers would create two new contenders in each conference.
The Knicks would have a Big 3 of Embiid, Jalen Brunson, and Bojan Bogdanovic, while the Clippers would have a Big 4 of Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George.
As for the Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons, both teams would acquire s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ful players.
The Sixers would get a double-double machine in Julius Randle, a rising swingman in RJ Barrett, an elite rebounder and shot-blocker in Mitchell Robinson, and a terrific 3-point shooter in Nicolas Batum.
Meanwhile, the Pistons would acquire a Sixth Man of the Year candidate in Immanuel Quickley, a strong two-way guard in Terance Mann, and a professional veteran in Robert Covington.
