Clips’ Frank is excited to add Harden

James Harden requested a trade from the 76ers in the summer and made it clear that he would not play for an organization run by Daryl Morey, and on Wednesday, he got his wish, and the Los Angeles native is going home.

The LA Clippers have acquired Harden, P.J. Tucker, and Filip Petrusev from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Marcus Morris, Nico Batum, Robert Covington, and K.J. Martin; as part of the trade, the Clippers dealt a first-round pick, two second-round picks, a pick swap, and cash considerations to the 76ers, while sending a pick swap and cash considerations to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Los Angeles is making a run for a title; they believe the 10-time All-Star can be the guy that can help lead them to the Promise Land, and Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank thinks they can have a lot of success with the core of Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook. 

“James is one of the most prolific and efficient playmakers in the NBA,” Frank said. “With his size and vision, he possesses an extraordinary ability to create for himself and others. The Los Angeles area has produced so many elite players in recent years. With Kawhi, Paul, Russ, and James, we’re excited to bring four of them together, and eager to see what they can accomplish with the rest of our group.”

With the trade, the Clippers became Harden’s fourth team in three seasons.

Last season, the 34-year-old averaged 21.0 points and a league-leading 10.7 assists per game.

The 76ers get a decent amount of draft capital that they can use to get another star and four expiring contracts. Philly will reportedly have $50-60 million of cap space next summer.

In addition, the 76ers are more athletic and versatile, and they still can compete for a title. Also, it’s addition by subtraction. Harden wanted no part of Philly, and it’s best that they moved on from him.

Regarding the Clippers, we’ll see if Harden, Westbrook, George, and Leonard can co-exist, and if it works, the Clippers are legitimate title contenders. If not, it’s going to be another disappointment for the Clippers.

Official: 76ers sign Kelly Oubre Jr.

Philadelphia 76ers have signed Kelly Oubre Jr., the team announced Tuesday.

According to reports, it’s a one-year deal.

In a related move, the team has waived Marcus Bagley.

Last season, Oubre Jr. after averaged a career-high 20.3 points (43.1% FG, 31.9% 3FG), 5.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 48 games (40 starts) with Charlotte. In addition, the eight-year veteran had a career-best 1.4 steals in 2022-23.

In 527 career NBA games with Washington, Phoenix, Golden State, and Charlotte, Oubre Jr. has averaged 12.8 points on 43.4% shooting (33.0% 3FG), 4.4 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 1.0 steal.

The 27-year-old has produced at least 15.0 points in each of his last five seasons dating back to 2018-19, while tallying back-to-back seasons with at least 100 three-pointers and 50 steals.

This is a solid acquisition for the 76ers. You get a guy who can score the basketball off the bench. Oubre is athletic, solid shooter, and good enough defender. He will help the Sixers in 2023-24.

76ers sign forward Marcus Bagley

On Thursday, the Philadelphia 76ers announced that they have signed forward Marcus Bagley. 

According to reports, it’s an Exhibit 10 deal.

Bagley, 21, spent parts of three seasons at Arizona State, where he posted career averages of 10.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in 17 total appearances. During his time as a Sun Devil, he also shot 35.1% from beyond the arc on 5.5 attempts per game over his three years. 

The undrafted rookie free agent is also the younger brother of Marvin Bagley III, who has played five NBA seasons after being selected with the No. 2 pick by the Sacramento Kings in the 2018 Draft. 

Philadelphia’s training camp begins on October 3-6 at Colorado State University’s Moby Arena in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Official: 76ers sign Danny Green

On Wednesday, the Philadelphia 76ers announced that they are signing Danny Green.

According to reports, it’s a one-year deal.

The 34-year-old, who spent two seasons with Philadelphia(2020-22), reunites with 76ers head coach Nick Nurse. The two were together during the 2019 championship season in Toronto.

During his time with the 76ers, he produced 7.8 points on 40.5% shooting, 3.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.2 steals in 131 games (97 starts) while ranking ninth on the franchise’s all-time list with a 39.5% three-point shooting mark. 

Green tore his ACL and LCL in the playoffs in 2022 with the 76ers and was traded to the Grizzlies at the end of that season.

Last season, the 14-year veteran spent time with the Grizzlies and Cavaliers. With the Cavs, Green played in four postseason games.

Originally selected by Cleveland with the 46th pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, Green has produced 8.7 points on 42.1% shooting (40.0% 3-PT), 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steals, and 25.2 minutes across 830 career games (709 starts) with the Cavaliers, San Antonio, Toronto, the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia, and Memphis. He is one of four players in league history to win NBA titles with three different franchises, joining Robert Horry, LeBron James, and John Salley.  

Depending on what he has left in the tank, Green should give Philly some depth off the bench.

76ers sign guard David Duke Jr.

The Philadelphia 76ers have officially signed guard David Duke Jr., the team announced Monday.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer Gina Mizell, it’s an Exhibit 10 deal.

Duke Jr., 23, appeared in 23 games with the Brooklyn Nets last season as a two-way signee, averaging 3.7 points (46.2% FG) and 1.3 rebounds in 9.9 minutes. He posted season highs in points (15), rebounds (eight), and steals (three) while dishing out a career-best four assists against the 76ers on April 9.

Across his two professional seasons, both with the Nets from 2021-23, the Providence, R.I. native has produced 4.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 12.6 minutes in 45 NBA games.

The second-year guard has also appeared in 35 career regular season games (all starts) for Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, posting averages of 20.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals.

He led the team and ranked fourth across the G League with 23.0 points in 22 games last season, finishing third in the 2022-23 Kia NBA G League Most Valuable Player award voting.

76ers finalize coaching staff for 2023-24 season

On Tuesday, the Philadelphia 76ers today announced the team’s coaching staff under new head coach Nick Nurse.

Bryan Gates, Bobby Jackson, Rico Hines, Matt Brase, Coby Karl, Mike Longabardi, and Doug West will serve as assistant coaches.  

Longabardi will also serve as the head coach of Philadelphia’s NBA G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. 

John Corbacio (Assistant Coach/Head Video Coordinator), Fabulous Flournoy (Assistant Coach/Player Development), and Jason Love (Assistant Coach/Player Development) also join Nurse’s staff, while TJ DiLeo, Terrel Harris, Toure’ Murry, and Reggie Redding will serve as player development associate coaches.

Kareem Thawer is the team’s assistant video coordinator.

Here is a brief bio of Nurse’s coaching staff:

Gates enters his first season with the 76ers and his 15th in the NBA after making stops as an assistant coach in Phoenix, Minnesota, Sacramento, and New Orleans.

Following a 12-year NBA playing career, Jackson joins Nurse’s staff as an assistant coach after coaching the Stockton Kings to a G League-best 25-7 record in 2022-23.

Before accepting the head job with Stockton, Jackson racked up experience in an assistant coach/player development role for the Sacramento Kings (2017-20) and as a player development coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves (2014-16).

Hines comes to Philadelphia after spending the 2022-23 season with Nurse in Toronto as an assistant coach. He has accumulated eight seasons of coaching experience at the NBA level, including stops with the Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings (assistant coach/player development, 2019-22), and Golden State Warriors (player development, 2006-10).

Hines has also held the assistant coach title with the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League (2016-19) and St. John’s University (2010-15).

Brase joins Philadelphia’s staff after leading Pallacanestro Varese as head coach for the 2022-2023 season in Serie A of the Italian League. Brase previously served as an assistant coach with the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2021-22 season. 

Karl joins the Philadelphia’s bench after leading the Delaware Blue Coats as head coach. During his tenure, Karl led the Blue Coats to become the only G League team to win both a G League title and the Showcase Cup crown. 

Longabardi, a two-time NBA champion, joins Philadelphia’s staff with 20 seasons of NBA coaching experience, including holding assistant positions with the Houston Rockets (2003-07), Boston Celtics (2007-12), Phoenix Suns (2013-15), Cleveland Cavaliers (2015-19), Washington Wizards (2019-21), Sacramento Kings (2021-22) and with the Atlanta Hawks (2022-23).

West comes to Philadelphia with an extensive basketball profile that includes a 12-year NBA playing career, following a four-year run with Villanova. He has also accumulated 20 years of coaching experience in the high school, collegiate, and professional ranks.

Corbacio originally joined the Toronto Raptors video staff in 2017 and added assistant coach to his title prior to the 2019-20 season.

Flournoy enters his first season with the 76ers after completing four seasons with the Toronto Raptors as an assistant video coordinator and player development coach.

Love joined the 76ers in 2019 as a skill development associate before being elevated to skill development coach. Before Philadelphia, Love was a graduate assistant at the University of Louisville in 2018-19.

DiLeo is entering his third season as a member of the 76ers’ player development staff after joining the team for the 2021-22 season. 

Harris joins Philadelphia after a professional basketball career in the NBA (2011-13) and NBA G League (2009-11), including a championship season with the Miami Heat in 2011-12. 

Murry previously served as a player development coach for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the G League. He has 10 years of NBA/European playing experience.

Redding is entering his third year with the 76ers’ player development department after joining the staff in 2021. A 

Thawer began his NBA career in 2022-23 with the Toronto Raptors’ video department.  

 

 

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NBA fines Harden $100K after public comments about Morey

Last week, a video surfaced of Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden, who was on tour for Adidas in China, calling 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey a ‘liar.”

“Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of,” Harden said. “Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”

The NBA was not happy about those comments.

On Tuesday, the NBA announced that Harden has been fined $100,000 for public comments on August 14 and 17 indicating that he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless traded to another team. 

According to the NBA, after interviewing Harden, they confirmed that these comments referenced Harden’s belief that the 76ers would not accommodate his request to be traded.

Harden, who had a player option for next season, opted into his contract in June and is scheduled to make $35.6 million in the 2023-24 season.

According to Shams Charania, the 76ers expect to keep the 33-year-old Harden for the 2023-24 season, but we’ll see how this story plays out.

NBA announces schedule for 2023-24 season

On Thursday, the NBA released the 2023-24 regular season schedule, which begins on Oct. 23 when the Lakers travel to Denver to face the world-champion Nuggets, and the new-look Suns head to San Francisco to face the Warriors.

The regular-season schedule includes defined dates and opponents for 80 of each team’s 82 games and two games designated as TBD dates and opponents. Those two games for each team, to be played the week of Dec. 4, will be determined based on the results of Group Play games in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament.  

NBA In-Season Tournament

NBA-In-Season Tournament Group Play games for all 30 teams will take place on Tuesdays and Fridays in November, with TNT, ESPN, and NBA TV combining to televise 16 games. Eight teams will advance to the Knockout Rounds, which consist of single-elimination games in the Quarterfinals (Monday, Dec. 4 and Tuesday, Dec. 5), Semifinals (Thursday, Dec. 7), and Championship (Saturday, Dec. 9). 

The national broadcast schedule for the Knockout Rounds will be announced later.

Christmas Day

The NBA will feature five games on Christmas Day.

Bucks face the Knicks in New York (noon ET/ESPN).

The two most recent recipients of the Larry O’Brien Trophy will go head-to-head when the 2022 NBA champion Warriors visit the 2023 NBA champion Nuggets (2:30 p.m. ET ESPN/ABC).

Next, the Lakers will host the Celtics (5 p.m. ET/ABC) as the longtime rivals meet on Christmas Day for the first time in 15 years.

The Christmas Day schedule will conclude with two more games on ESPN, with the 76ers taking on the Heat in Miami (8 p.m. ET) and the Mavericks playing the Suns in Phoenix (10:30 p.m. ET).

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

On Monday, Jan. 15, the NBA family will continue the tradition of honoring the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The celebration will include four nationally televised games.

In a TNT doubleheader, the Atlanta Hawks will face the Spurs (3:30 p.m. ET), and the Grizzlies will meet the Warriors (6 p.m. ET) as Atlanta and Memphis continue their traditions of hosting games on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

NBA TV will air two games: Houston Rockets at 76ers (1 p.m. ET) and Oklahoma City Thunder at Lakers (10:30 p.m. ET).

Election Day

For the second consecutive season, no NBA games have been scheduled for Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 7).

All-Star Game

The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 18, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Final Day of Regular Season

All 30 teams will play on the final day of the regular season (Sunday, Apr. 14). The seven games between Eastern Conference teams will begin at 1 p.m. ET, and the seven games between Western Conference teams and the one cross-conference matchup will start at 3:30 p.m. ET. 

Play-In Tournament/Playoffs/NBA Finals

The 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament will take place from Tuesday, Apr. 16 – Friday, Apr. 19, followed by the start of the 2024 NBA Playoffs on Saturday, Apr. 20. 

Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals is set for Thursday, Jun. 6.

National Television Games

-Golden State Warriors will have the most nationally televised games this season with 41. The Lakers are next with 40, Phoenix has 37, Celtics are fourth with 34, and the Bucks and Nuggets will have 30 apiece.

-2023 NBA Finals rematches between the Nuggets and Heat will occur on Thursday, Feb. 29, in Denver on TNT (10 p.m. ET) and Wednesday, Mar. 13, in Miami on ESPN (7:30 p.m. ET).

-The top two picks in the 2023 NBA Draft – No. 1 pick Wembanyama of the Spurs and No. 2 pick Brandon Miller of the Charlotte Hornets – are scheduled to meet for the first time in the regular season when San Antonio hosts Charlotte on Friday, Jan. 12 on ESPN (10 p.m. ET).

Additional Schedule Highlights

-All 30 teams are scheduled to make at least one appearance on TNT or ESPN in the 2023-24 regular season. The NBA on TNT, ESPN, ABC, and NBA TV will present flexible scheduling throughout the regular season to provide the most compelling matchups to a national audience.

-The team average for back-to-backs involving travel between games has been reduced to a record-low 9.0. The previous low was 9.6 last season.

-Primetime weeknight doubleheaders across TNT (Tuesdays and Thursdays) and ESPN (Wednesdays and Fridays) will again be played at 7:30 p.m. ET/10 p.m. ET except for one instance during the first week of the season.

-ABC will televise 16 games as part of its two weekend series, NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC (which tips off with the Jan. 27 tripleheader during NBA Rivals Week) and NBA Sunday Showcase (which begins with Celtics at Heat on Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. ET).

-NBA TV will feature Center Court throughout the season. In the season debut of the franchise, the Warriors will visit the Pelicans on Monday, Oct. 30 (8 p.m. ET).

-The 2024 NBA Finals and the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals will be exclusively televised by ABC and ESPN/ABC, respectively. TNT will exclusively televise the 2024 Western Conference Finals.

Complete NBA Schedule:

2023-24 NBA SCHEDULE BY DAY (PDF)

76ers begin season in Milwaukee against Bucks

The 76ers will tip off their 2023-24 campaign on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks on October 26 at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT, the NBA announced Thursday. 

This nationally-televised contest marks the first of 29 in which Philadelphia will be featured across ABC (three), ESPN (eight), TNT (seven), and NBA TV (11) throughout the 2023-24 regular season.    

76ers head coach returns to his old stomping grounds on October 28 when Philly travels to Toronto to battle the Raptors. On October 29, the 76ers will host their home opener versus the Portland Trail Blazers.

In-Season Tournament:

Group Play games, the first of two stages in the In-Season Tournament, will take place on Tuesdays and Fridays in November. On these “Tournament Nights,” the only NBA games scheduled will be Group Play games.   

As part of Group A in the Eastern Conference, Philadelphia will travel to Detroit to face the Pistons on November 10 at 7 p.m. ET before hosting the Indiana Pacers on November 14 at 7 p.m. ET. The team’s third Group Play game is set for Atlanta against the Hawks on November 17 at 7:30 p.m. ET, while the 76ers wrap up Group Play on November 21 at home against Cleveland at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT.  

Based on standings within the group, the 76ers have the chance to move on to the Knockout Rounds, which will be single-elimination throughout the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Championship. 

The NBA will announce Philadelphia’s games for the week of December 4 following the conclusion of the Group Play stage of the In-Season Tournament.  

Christmas Day:

For the second consecutive season, the 76ers are one of 10 NBA teams playing on Christmas Day. Philadelphia will play at Miami at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, marking the team’s fifth appearance on Christmas Day in the last seven years.

The game will mark the first-ever matchup between the 76ers and Heat on Christmas Day.       

Longest Homestand:

Philadelphia’s longest homestand of the season spans five games over 11 days at The Center from Oct. 29-Nov. 8. This includes the team’s home opener on Sunday, October 29, against Portland (7:30 p.m. ET), followed by Toronto (Thursday, Nov. 2, 7 p.m. ET, NBA TV), Phoenix (Saturday, Nov. 4, 1 p.m. ET), Washington (Monday, Nov. 6, 7 p.m. ET), and Boston (Wednesday, Nov. 8, 7 p.m. ET).   

Longest Road Trip:
Philadelphia’s longest road trip of the season runs eight days and five games in length from Jan. 25-Feb. 1. This includes games at Indiana (Thursday, Jan. 25, 7 p.m. ET), Denver (Saturday, January 27, 5:30 p.m. ET, ABC), Portland (Monday, Jan. 29, 10 p.m. ET, NBA TV), Golden State (Tuesday, Jan. 30, 10 p.m., ET, TNT), and Utah (Thursday, Feb. 1, 9 p.m. ET).  

Jokic comes to town:
Philadelphia will host the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, January 16 (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT).   

Weekend Warriors:
The 76ers will have 17 weekend games (9 Fridays, 4 Saturdays, 4 Sundays) at home.  

Back-to-Backs:
Philadelphia is slated for 14 sets of back-to-back games, four of which will come during the month of January.  

GAME BREAKDOWN BY MONTH:       
OCTOBER: 3 games (1 home, 2 road) 
NOVEMBER: 15 games (9 home, 6 road) 
DECEMBER: 14 games (5 home, 7 road, *2 to be scheduled
JANUARY: 14 games (7 home, 7 road) 
FEBRUARY: 12 games (8 home, 4 road)
MARCH: 17 games (6 home, 11 road)
APRIL: 7 games (4 home, 3 road) 

Complete Schedule for all 30 teams: https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2023/08/2023-24-NBA-Schedule-By-Team-as-of-8-17-23.pdf

Harden: ‘Daryl Morey is a liar’

James Harden’s time with the 76ers could be over, at least from his standpoint.

On Monday, a video surfaced of Harden in China on tour with Adidas, telling people at a charity event that Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is a ‘liar.”

“Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of,” Harden said. “Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”

In the summer of 2022, Harden, who was acquired by the 76ers from the Nets at the trade deadline in the 2021-22 season, opted out of his $47 million player option and signed a new, team-friendly, two-year deal worth $68.6 million with a player option in the second year of the contract. 

This summer, Harden, who averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and a league-leading 10.7 assists per contest last season, opted into his contract that would pay him $35.6 million next season. 

Philadelphia had been reportedly working on trading the 10-time All-Star, mainly with the Clippers, which is reportedly Harden’s preferred destination, but recently, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the 76ers have ended trade talks and expected the 33-year-old to report to trading camp.

The breakdown of Harden’s relationship with Morey is surprising. Harden and Morey, who were with each other in Houston, had what appeared to be a very close relationship, but that relationship is not the same. Maybe the two had a handshake agreement of some sort; who knows? 

How this plays out should be very interesting. Philly believes they can compete for an NBA title with reigning league MVP Joel Embiid and Harden, which could be accurate, but in the end, this is only good news if Philly can get proper value for Harden, which may have become harder after today.