The Philadelphia 76ers began a five-game Western Conference road trip Monday night with a matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers. Coming into the game, the Sixers would be once again without Paul George, who was serving the second of his 25-game suspension, but would have Joel Embiid in the first of back-to-back games in Golden State.
Former Sixers point guard James Harden missed the game for what was listed as "personal reasons." But despite missing the game, Harden's name was among the most talked about during the evening as word spread that the Clippers and Harden were working together to find him a new NBA home—more on that later.
The Sixers would come out firing in this game, smelling blood in the water against a Clippers squad missing two of their starters. Without Harden and Derrick Jones Jr., who missed the game with a right knee sprain. Scoring 38 points to the Clippers' 19 in the first quarter, the game was dominated by Tyrese Maxey and none other than Dominick Barlow.
Maxey's success was of no great surprise as the now two-time All-Star is in the midst of a career season. Maxey was giving the Clippers' defense fits, alternating between blowing by defenders and splashing threes from near the logo.
One cannot deny the impact Maxey made in this game, but it could be argued that without Dominick Barlow, the Sixers may not have enjoyed the same result.
Barlow saw career-highs in points (26) and offensive rebounds (10), making a noticeable impact from the opening tip. To say he was active doesn't do Barlow justice. He was fighting for every last possession, doing the dirty work throughout the game and fighting through constant contact.
As reported by Sixers television play-by-play announcer Kate Scott, Barlow is the first Sixers player to score 25 or more points and grab 10 or more offensive rebounds in a single game since Charles Barkley in 1990.
Shake Milton walked so Dominick Barlow could run.
The eventual landing spot for James Harden clearly determines this somewhat, but looking at some of the leading options, the impact can at least be theorized.
While there's no final word yet, the current frontrunner appears to be the Cleveland Cavaliers, as reported by Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. According to Mannix, the two teams have discussed the idea of swapping point guards, with Harden heading to Cleveland and two-time All-Star Darius Garland heading to Los Angeles.
If the Cavs were to effectively change out Garland for Harden—which would be an upgrade, at least for this season—the Cavaliers would become an even more dangerous threat in the Eastern Conference. Despite Harden's uneven play, particularly in the postseason, the simple truth is that Harden, as a passer, a defender and as an experienced veteran, would provide significant value to the Cavaliers, while the Clippers would be better set up for the future, potentially damaging the Sixers' draft assets.
The Sixers own the Clippers 2028 first-round pick (unprotected) and a top-three protected first-round pick swap in 2029. With Garland or any other younger asset they may receive from a potential suitor, the Clippers have the potential to be better than expected in 2028 and 2029, which would be far from ideal for the Sixers.
Philadelphia keeps it in-state, heading up to San Francisco from LA for a matchup against the Golden State Warriors. Former Sixer Seth Curry and his brother Steph have already been ruled out, as has Jimmy Butler, who is out for the season with a torn ACL and Jonathan Kuminga, who is dealing with a bone bruise in his left knee. All these injuries set up the stage for the perfect trap game, so the Sixers will have to be extra focused in their second straight night of action.
Tip-off is set for 10 p.m. EST.
