Less than a month into NBA free agency, player movement appears to be at a standstill as the league waits to see how the Damian Lillard situation plays out. While the Miami Heat are Lillard’s preferred destination, the Portland Trail Blazers have made it clear that they aren’t going to give him away for anything less than a haul. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers are dealing with a trade request of their own, with star James Harden asking to be moved to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Much like the Trail Blazers, the Sixers do not appear willing to settle for less so their star can get his way. As a result, in both cases, both sides appear to be in a holding pattern. That could change, however, particularly if this proposed trade by Fanspo becomes a reality. In the proposal, the two potential trades would be combined into a major four-team mega-deal between the Blazers, Heat, Clippers, and Sixers.
The four-team deal would see 11 players and six picks change teams and potentially reshape both conferences. But what are the specifics of the trade, and would each team, if any, agree to it? Let’s take a closer look, beginning with the trade itself.
NBA Trades: A four-team Blazers, Heat, 76ers, and Clippers mega-trade.
Portland Trail Blazers Get:
Kyle Lowry
Nicolas Batum
Amir Coffey
Jason Preston
Nikola Jovic
2027 first-round pick (via the Miami Heat)
2028 first-round pick (via the Los Angeles Clippers)
2029 first-round pick (via the Miami Heat)
2030 first-round pick (via the Los Angeles Clippers)
Miami Heat Get:
Damian Lillard
Marcus Morris
Philadelphia 76ers Get:
Tyler Herro
Brandon Boston Jr.
Robert Covington
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
2029 second-round pick (via the Miami Heat)
2030 second-round pick (via the Miami Heat)
Los Angeles Clippers Get:
James Harden
P.J. Tucker
As you can see, there are a lot of moving parts to the deal, and four-team deals are rare because of them. As far as this trade is concerned, it would appear that everyone will get what they want. The Blazers would get multiple first-round picks for Lillard; Lillard would join the team of his choice, while the Heat would get a third star that could potentially put them over the top.
Additionally, Harden would also join the Clippers, a team in need of a shakeup after falling behind in a deep Western Conference. Meanwhile, the 76ers would get a decent return for an aging star who no longer wants to play for them. In theory, there is something to like for each team, but would every team agree to the deal? Let’s start with Portland.
NBA Trades: Would the Portland Trail Blazers agree to the trade?
Since Lillard first requested to be traded, the Blazers have done a good job of playing hardball and putting pressure on the Heat. Although Lillard wants to play in Miami, Portland clearly isn’t going to just hand him over to the Heat. That opens the door for another team to swoop in and trade for him, and with four years left on his deal, he would have no control over the situation. That has probably led to him applying pressure on the Heat to get a deal done, no matter what it takes.
With some maneuvering, Miami can offer three first-round picks, though they have apparently been shopping Herro to try and acquire another to offer the Blazers. This hypothetical deal would net Portland a recent first-round pick in Jovic as well as four first-round picks and mostly expiring contracts.
They also get off Lillard’s awful deal, which will pay him $50 million when he is 36 years old. Not taking back bad long-term deals, getting off of one, and ideally adding five first-rounders would actually be a good haul for the Blazers if this deal went down.
NBA Trades: Would the Miami Heat agree to the trade?
After losing in the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons, the Heat entered the offseason looking for some star power. In this proposal, they would certainly get it in Lillard, but it would cost them a lot. They have already lost two starters and a rotation player in Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, and Cody Zeller from last season’s team.
This trade would also cost them Herro, Jaquez, two firsts, and two seconds, though they would add Lillard to the core of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Caleb Martin that helped the Heat make the Finals. Giving up that many assets for a soon-to-be 34-year-old is a risk, but they are no longer in a position to run them back, and Lillard would raise their ceiling.
After being the two best teams in the East in the playoffs without Lillard, they could very well be the best team in the Conference with him. Whether that gives them the edge in a potential rematch against the Denver Nuggets is less clear, but it should definitely improve their chances. After coming so close to a title last season, even a small improvement may be enough to get them over the hump, and Lillard would be more than a small improvement.
NBA Trades: Would the Los Angeles Clippers agree to the trade?
Back in the summer of 2019, it looked as though the Los Angeles Clippers were going to be the team to beat in the West for years to come. Four years later, the Clippers have yet to even make it to the Western Conference Finals and have been passed by several teams, namely the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns.
While they could be a top-four team if their two best players, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George, manage to stay healthy, the team can’t rely on that to happen. As a result, they should jump at the chance to acquire Harden to help prop open their title window.
Harden isn’t the same MVP-caliber player he once was and probably isn’t going to help them much in the playoffs, but he could definitely help them in the regular season. With Leonard and George usually a safe bet to miss around 25 games a season, having Harden in addition to Russell Westbrook would allow them to keep pace in the West during the regular season.
Then, when the postseason comes around, hopefully, their best players will be healthy and the Clippers will be in a better position to compete. In this trade scenario, giving up Covington, Morris, Batum, Coffey, Preston, Boston Jr., and two first-rounders seems like a lot, but those players would be expendable if it meant a meaningful upgrade. Harden is.
NBA Trades: Would the Philadelphia 76ers agree to the trade?
Of the four teams, the Sixers are the most likely to veto the deal, though it largely depends on how they view Herro. If they view Herro as an asset, then receiving him, Covington, Jaquez, Boston Jr., and two seconds might not be a bad haul for them. If they don’t view him as an asset, then they would be taking on a $128 million contract for the price of two seconds.
With Joel Embiid on the team, they can’t afford to take back a bad long-term salary. Instead, they may seek a couple of firsts in exchange for Harden. But unlike with the Blazers, it doesn’t seem that another team is interested in trading for him.
That means they probably don’t have much leverage over the Clippers, and we’ve seen how bad things can get when Harden checks out on a team. The Sixers may eventually be forced to trade him to Los Angeles, but perhaps not for this trade package. Therefore, the Sixers would probably say no to this deal as constructed.
Overall, while three of the teams would potentially agree to the trade as is, the Sixers likely wouldn’t. With Harden and Lillard all but certain to be moved, it’s possible that multiple teams could be involved in a potential deal similar to the proposed trade.