Lakers News: West Rival Clippers Make Blockbuster Trade To Acquire James Harden
The Western Conference just got a bit more loaded. And your Los Angeles Lakers' path to the West Finals just got a bit rockier.
That's because, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Philadelphia 76ers are shipping out professional irritant (and former 10-time All-Star point guard) James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Harden will join a team loaded with over-the-hill 30+ year-old vets hoping to not get hurt long enough to win a title. He'll once again play next to 35-year-old ex-Laker Russell Westbrook, 33-year-old Paul George, and 32-year-old Kawhi Leonard, forming an awesome-on-paper team that will invariably fall apart in the second round of the West playoffs once again. Other incredibly basketball-old players, including 35-year-old forward Nicolas Batum, 34-year-old forward Marcus Morris (not to be confused with his twin brother Markieff, a former 2020 Laker), 33-year-old forward Robert Covington, and 33-year-old backup center Mason Plumlee, were all on the team prior to this deal.
Precisely what is being offloaded is not yet clear, though one assumes the Sixers' long-sought prize, 3-and-D wing Terance Mann, could be heading back to Philadelphia. Clippers fans would no doubt hope that the club was able to offload at least one of Batum, Morris and/or Covington in the trade for Harden and his $35.6 million salary, given that they're barely part of the rotation anymore and making gobs of cash to do very little. Morris is earning $17.1 million this season, while Batum and Covington are raking in $11.7 million apiece.
Lakers fans needn't be too concerned just yet. This is looking like one of the oldest teams in the league, now featuring four Hall of Famers, yes, all definitively past their respective primes, and all liable to break down by the spring. Harden also has a history of horrific playoff performances on his resume, especially in potential closeout contests. Leonard and George can't stay healthy long enough to survive a full run to the Finals these days.
Transitioning from Westbrook to Harden at the point is a clear upgrade, yes, but this team still has lots of work ahead if it wants to actually compete for a title next spring.
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