NBA Trades: Philadelphia 76ers
With Harden seemingly deadset on playing elsewhere, this particular trade would net the Sixers a younger star in LaVine as well as Batum and Covington. That could be a great return for Philly since they would replace Harden with another talented offensive player while also adding two potential rotation players on expiring deals.
Considering the rumored trade proposal from the Clippers, getting LaVine would be a win for the Sixers, who would otherwise be looking at a dropoff were they to move Harden. LaVine is under contract for at least the next three seasons, and while he will make $128 million during that span, the rising salary cap could make that deal look better. It would need to since the Sixers are already paying Joel Embiid and will soon have to spend big on Tyrese Maxey.
Whether GM Darryl Morey would make this deal as a result is questionable, though I would probably lean toward yes. After all, a straight-up deal with the Clippers would pretty much be just rotation players on expiring contracts and a couple of first-round picks. At least this deal would keep the Sixers from taking a step back in the short term.
Overall, the trade is definitely viable, and each team would potentially say yes to such a deal. However, we don’t see many five-team trades for a reason: they are hard to pull off.