At long last, the standoff between All-Star guard and former NBA MVP James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers comes to an end. It’s been months since Harden requested to be traded to the Los Angeles Clippers and the saga ends with him getting his wish. Harden is expected to debut next week against the New York Knicks per The Athletic NBA insider Shams Charania.
Harden will be joining a team with three All-Stars Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook, so it’ll be fascinating to see how that plays out. His new teammates have been asked about Harden’s anticipated arrival in Los Angeles and Leonard’s response was in line with what we’ve come to expect from the latter.
“Once it went down, I was in bed at the time. I guess I’m excited. He’s one of the best NBA players to step on the floor… I’m ready to see him play in a Clippers jersey,” Leonard stated nonchalantly in his monotone voice.
Despite being one of three players in NBA history to earn a Finals MVP with two different franchises and a two-time NBA Champion, Leonard has become known for his lack of emotional expression over the years. He is a silent assassin both on and off the court.
A lot of players would be banging the table and screaming from the hilltops if their team acquired a former NBA MVP and 10-time All-Star, but it’s just another day at the office for Leonard.
The Clippers acquired Harden in addition to P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev (who was rerouted to the Sacramento Kings) in exchange for Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, KJ Martin, and multiple draft picks.
