What the odds say: How the Harden trade changes Clippers' title chances

James Harden's demand has been granted. The most notable player-executive relationship spanning over a decade officially ended in ruin as Daryl Morey and the Sixers traded Harden to the Clippers - his preferred destination - early Tuesday morning.

When Harden requested a trade earlier this summer and declared he'd never work in the same organization as Morey again, the market for the former MVP was thin.

Harden made it clear he wanted to be in Los Angeles, but the Sixers insisted they'd do what's best for the organization. With no other suitors for the disgruntled star, Philadelphia had no choice but to send Harden to the Clippers.

Although it took months for Morey to ensure he got the best possible package in return, he finally shipped Harden - and P.J. Tucker - out West three games into the Sixers' season.

In return, Philadelphia acquired Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Marcus Morris, KJ Martin, two future first-round picks, two second-round picks, and a pick swap.

The Clippers moved from +2000 to +1200 to win the NBA Finals at theScore Bet - tied for the fifth-best odds - following the deal. They also shifted from +1100 to +700 to win the Western Conference and from +600 to +350 to win the Pacific Divison, which still trails the Suns at +140.

Harden will now team up with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook, a superstar grouping six years ago but one that presents more questions than answers in 2023.

The four former All-NBAers are on expiring contracts, meaning they'll become free agents following the season. The Clippers are as desperate as any team to win this campaign. If they don't, catastrophic changes are coming next summer.

Los Angeles still has role players Ivica Zubac, Norman Powell, Terance Mann, Mason Plumlee, and Bones Hyland to make for an incredibly deep rotation.

Harden took a backseat as a scorer with the Sixers last season and instead developed as a playmaker. He led the league in assists. The Clippers will need him to do the same as a setup man for primary options Leonard and George. But will the player who's been on three teams in three years have that type of buy-in as he searches for one more long-term deal next summer?

Only Harden can answer that question, but it'll likely decide the Clippers' fate this season. Los Angeles certainly got better by adding Harden. Although he's lost his burst and is not the guy he once was, he's still an All-Star-caliber player.

The Clippers will inevitably relegate Westbrook to the bench as Harden retains starting point guard responsibilities. Westbrook moved from +5000 to +1500 to win Sixth Man of the Year following the trade.

Los Angeles' win total before the season was 46.5. It's now up to 49.5, as the team holds a 2-1 record with a matchup against the Magic on Tuesday night.

As for the Sixers, their odds of winning the Finals and Eastern Conference went unchanged. Harden hadn't played a game this season anyway, and a trade was a matter of when, not if.

Philadelphia was never going to get fair trade value for Harden. There was virtually no market for him, so the Sixers had little leverage. Instead, Morey played the Harden deal as a multi-step process to eventually acquire another high-level player to join Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

The first step is complete, but there's a lot of work for Philly to do before turning into a true contender.

The Sixers have the eighth-best odds to win the championship at +2000 and the third-best to win the East at +800.

Maxey's emergence as an All-Star guard in the early part of this season, compounded with the chemistry he and Embiid have built together, is an encouraging sign for Philadelphia. Maxey's averaging 30.3 points and 6.3 assists on 56% shooting from three this campaign.

Batum, Covington, and Morris are on expiring contracts. Those three and the newly obtained draft capital will make the Sixers suitors when the next star becomes available either this season or next offseason. Morey will almost certainly pull off another trade at some point before this campaign's deadline to improve Philadelphia's roster.

But for now, the Sixers are finally detached from Harden's toxicity and have capable players who will show up and compete.

Whether this leads to an eventual championship for the Sixers or Clippers remains to be seen.

Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @soshtry for more betting coverage.