Player movement in the NBA has significantly slowed down since the first week of free agency, as no major moves have been made since the Grant Williams trade that sent him to the Dallas Mavericks. There are some massive pending trades in the meantime as the trade sagas of Damian Lillard and James Harden continue to drag on.
There may be a solution for the Harden trade, as the player seems hellbent on making his way to Los Angeles. He doesn’t want to be the third star on the Lakers but instead join their rivals, the Clippers. Harden is from Los Angeles and this will allow him to finally play in his hometown, possibly into his retirement. But with the 76ers not willing to give up Harden for minimal value, an interesting trade involving the Mavericks could allow for all three teams to walk away with something.
Dallas Mavericks receive: Ivica Zubac, Robert Covington
Philadelphia 76ers receive: Tim Hardaway Jr., Marcus Morris Sr., 2027 First-Round Pick Swap (LAC), 2027 Top-5 Protected First-Round Pick (DAL), 2028 First-Round Pick (LAC), 2030 First-Round Pick (LAC)
Los Angeles Clippers receive: James Harden
Daryl Morey has proven he can be a very stub𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 man to deal with in the trade market, especially when it comes to star players that want out. He waited six months to trade Ben Simmons, so to make him move off Harden in the summer, the Clippers will have to fork up an offer that simply can’t be beaten. Instead of sending assets Philly will not value, they can involve the Mavericks and get them to give up a win-now player and a first-round pick that could be extremely valuable if Luka Doncic leaves in the final year of his contract in 2026.
The Mavericks Finally Get Their Starting Center
The Mavericks right now have a robust rotation of average centers. This includes rookie Dereck Lively II, Dwight Powell, and Richaun Holmes. JaVale McGee is on the roster but widely expected to either be traded or waived and stretched. The team has reportedly been looking to move on from Holmes, who was mostly a healthy DNP on the Kings last season and was acquired as a salary dump on Draft night, Zubac could be the player the team is looking for.
Zubac averaged 10.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks last season and has inside ability the perimeter-oriented Mavericks desperately need. Adding Robert Covington alongside him in the trade allows the Mavericks to get another switchable defender for their perimeter or run him in small-ball lineups. Rookie Olivier-Maxence Prosper needs to develop before he can be their primary wing-stopper, so Covington is a fantastic stopgap option. Mavs head coach Jason Kidd values players of Covington’s s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 set, who averaged 6.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists last season in a diminishing role with the Clippers.
The team has plenty of scoring ability on their roster, with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving at the helm. In addition, they added Seth Curry and are priming Jaden Hardy for a bigger role in the offense. Even if all that fails, the team can still rely on the development of Josh Green’s offense to help them out. Hardaway Jr. has been great for Dallas, but moving on from him with a possible valuable pick to get two players will be yet another great move by Nico Harrison this offseason.
The Philadelphia 76ers Receive Enough Assets To Find Another Co-Star For Joel Embiid
Daryl Morey has openly said that the only way they trade Harden is if they can get a star or the pieces to acquire a star. This trade sees them end up with four new picks, though the value of pick swaps can be questioned. The Mavericks’ pick could be valuable if their re-tooling attempts fail and they end up losing both Kyrie and Luka. There is a lot of upside in this trade for the league’s assist leader.
Hardaway Jr. would be the perfect offensive plug the Sixers have lacked beyond Harden, Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey. He averaged 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists last season, improving his efficiency from three to over 45.8% in the final 23 games of the season in a bid to get Dallas in the playoffs. His scoring versatility and fearlessness give Philly some diversity in their offense.
Marcus Morris Sr., just like Covington, slowly fell out of the Clippers’ rotation towards the end of the year. He could be an extremely valuable player in Philly’s system, functioning in a role similar to what P.J. Tucker did for them and the Milwaukee Bucks before. He’s a solid defender and can be a reliable shooter, though last season saw his averages drop to 1.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on 42.6% shooting from the field. Either way, he’s an expiring contract, so they can either move him toward the trade deadline, or he can play his way into their rotation.
The Los Angeles Clippers Get Their Man For A Heavy Price
Outside of the picks, the Clippers will mostly keep their win-now assets in place. They’ve already been trying to shop Covington and Morris, so getting both of them off and keeping Terance Mann and Norman Powell will be a win for them. They already have their center replacement for Zubac in Mason Plumlee, with inexpensive backups available all over the market. The trade is executed under the impression of an extension, as the Clippers can guarantee to have a superstar attraction for their new arena, which becomes their home for the 2024-25 season.
Harden averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists last season and showed playmaking dominance on the court. He and Russell Westbrook have had a successful partnership before. Westbrook has been willing to be even more of an off-ball contributor since being traded to the Clippers, so the pair can possibly make it work again. Westbrook excelled alongside Harden before the COVID shutdown, averaging 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists in the 19-20 season.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George’s questionable health gets an added wrinkle of James Harden thrown into the mix. But this ensures the Clippers have enough top-tier options on their roster to carry them to a safe position in the playoffs while minimizing the load on any individual players. Scorers like Bones Hyland and Norman Powell will excel with Harden on the roster, as the Clips could either use them to create a supercharged small-ball lineup or move them in separate trades to upgrade their frontcourt.
A Trade That Shakes Up The NBA
This trade is very dangerous, as it makes major changes to the DNA of three franchises looking to compete next season. The Mavericks have been holding onto their 2027 pick and this may not be the top-tier star they were looking for, but getting both Zubac and Covington in their roles makes their short-term outlook extremely bright. THJ is replaceable in Dallas due to their offensive versatility and ends up on a roster with the 76ers that could use that ability throughout the regular season and playoffs. He isn’t the same caliber as Harden, not even close, but getting a usable player is more valuable than salary-filling scrap from the Clippers.
The Clippers will take yet another big risk with some future picks, but the time to push the chips in is now. They may lose the stars they built the franchise around for nothing this summer, so making a statement of intent, like acquiring Harden, gives everyone something to look forward to. The track record is spotty, but Harden would fill the floor general hole the Clippers have had for years. Westbrook has been solid in that role, but Harden is arguably the best guard playmaker in the league.
This is high-risk and high-reward taken to its nth degree. But the ingredients could make all three teams stronger for a fight in a league that’s in a golden age of parity.
