Doc Rivers Claims to Have Impact on Clippers’ Trade for James Harden

The Philadelphia 76ers struck their only blockbuster deal of the 2023-2024 NBA season during early hours of the final day of October. At last, the Sixers cut ties with their ten-time All-Star guard, James Harden.

The fact that the Sixers dealt Harden away didn’t come as a shock. After all, the two parties wrapped up a drama-filled summer, which featured Harden demanding a trade and going public with his frustrations.

It was clear that if Harden were to get traded, his next team was going to be the Los Angeles Clippers. When the Sixers and the Clippers finalized the terms of the deal on Halloween morning, Harden wasted no time getting out to LA.

For months, it was rumored the Clippers were Harden's lone suitors in the market. It was clear the star guard wanted them — but it was unclear just how much the interest was mutual.

As expected, the Clippers asked around and did their homework on Harden. According to former 76ers head coach Doc Rivers, the Clippers’ organization reached out to him to learn more about his former guard.

“I was the one, obviously, they consulted,” Doc Rivers told ClutchPoints recently. “They made calls and I was one of the guys who said it would be a great deal for them because I thought he fit them better than he would fit the Sixers team. I think he's a perfect fit there.”

When the Sixers acquired Harden from the Brooklyn Nets in 2022, Doc Rivers was in the midst of his second season with the organization. Harden appeared in 21 regular season games before the Sixers went on their first playoff run, with the future Hall of Famer running the backcourt.

After 12 games, the Sixers fell out before reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. Harden looked forward to re-signing with the Sixers and getting a full offseason and regular season playing for Rivers in 2022-2023.

In 58 games, Harden averaged 21 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds while draining 39 percent of his threes in 2022-2023. Once again, Harden and the Sixers struggled to get past the second round, finding themselves defeated in seven games against the Boston Celtics.

From that point moving forward, it was clear that the relationship between Harden and Rivers was no longer going to work. While the Sixers moved on from Rivers following the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Harden wasn’t willing to return, even if it meant playing for Nick Nurse.

While Rivers and Harden didn’t split on the best of terms, it seems the Clippers still valued the Milwaukee Bucks head coach’s thoughts on the star guard. After all, Rivers is a highly-respected coach out West, as he coached the Clippers for seven seasons.

It’s unclear how much of an impact Rivers’ thoughts had on LA’s decision to make a push for Harden, but the front office’s decision to swap out several players in exchange for Harden proved to be the right move for them.

Despite a rocky start, Harden has averaged 18 points, eight assists, and five rebounds while draining 42 percent of his threes. The Clippers entered the All-Star break with a 36-17 record, which places them third in the Western Conference.