Breaking news: Philadelphia 76ers officially confirm the releasing of three super stars

The official announcement of the James Harden trade to the Los Angeles Clippers, which involved three teams, was made on Wednesday. The third team in the seven-player deal was revealed to be the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Here are the trade details:

• The Clippers acquired James Harden, PJ Tucker, and Filip Petrusev from the Philadelphia 76ers.
• The 76ers received Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, and Kenyon Martin Jr from the Clippers. Additionally, they obtained an unprotected 2028 first-round pick, a 2026 first-round pick from Oklahoma City, two second-round picks, and a 2029 first-round protected pick swap with the Clippers. The Sixers also received cash considerations.
• The Thunder acquired the rights to a 2027 unprotected first-round pick swap and cash considerations from the Clippers. In exchange, they sent the least favorable of Oklahoma City’s 2026 first-round draft picks to the 76ers.

The centerpiece of this trade is James Harden, who had previously sat out the first three games of the season for the 76ers due to his dispute with Philadelphia’s general manager, Daryl Morey. Harden had openly expressed his desire to join the Clippers and team up with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and his former teammate, Russell Westbrook.

Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of operations, commented on the trade, stating that James Harden is one of the NBA’s most prolific and efficient playmakers, with the ability to create opportunities for himself and his teammates due to his size and vision. Frank expressed excitement about having four elite players, including Kawhi, Paul, Russ, and James, on the team and looked forward to seeing what they could achieve alongside the rest of the roster.

James Harden, who is 34 years old, led the NBA in assists last season with an average of 10.7 per game while also contributing 21 points and 6.1 rebounds per game for the 76ers. He is a ten-time All-Star and was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in the 2017-18 season. However, one significant gap in his career is the absence of an NBA championship, and he has faced criticism for his history of forcing trades, with the 76ers now becoming the third team he has left, following the Houston Rockets and the Brooklyn Nets.