Grade the Trade idea: Mavericks land new starting center in James Harden blockbuster

Grading the trade for the Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers haven't made it out of the second round of the playoffs in over 20 years, and James Harden didn't push them over the threshold to be Finals contenders.

After just a season and a half, Harden forced his way out of Philly. Yes, he's one of the best guards in the NBA, but he's on an expiring contract, and the Sixers should try to get something for him while they can. They still have Joel Embiid as their superstar and have a budding young star in Tyrese Maxey.

The Sixers move on from their Harden era quickly, but they are compensated well. The Sixers receive Nicolas Batum, Norman Powell, Tim Hardaway Jr., Christian Wood, and a 2029 first-round pick. All four players included in this trade will be playing consistent minutes for this team, and they also get a future first-round pick. By this time, Los Angeles could be in a full rebuild, and this pick could be extremely valuable.

The Sixers get much better on the wing in this trade as they add a shooter in Hardaway Jr., a scorer in Powell, and a reliable defender in Batum. They also add a scoring power forward in Wood.

Philadelphia fans shouldn't be upset at this trade as oftentimes teams don't get full value when trading their superstars that have demanded trades. This trade gives them nice pieces to surround Embiid with and gives them a future asset with the draft pick.

Potential starting lineup: Tyrese Maxey, Norman Powell, Tobias Harris, Christian Wood, Joel Embiid

The 76ers get a B+ for this trade as they add multiple immediate starters. It seems they could have gotten a little bit more value for Harden, but this trade still gives them more depth, scoring, and defense.