GoJo and Golic react to the James Harden trade: The Beard gets his way once again

James Harden finally got his way and has his one-way ticket out of Philly and to L.A. and Mike Golic Jr. and Mike Golic Sr. shared their reactions on GoJo and Golic on Tuesday morning.

It was definitely more trick than treat that the deal went down as most of us were sleeping, but here’s the reported return for the oft-malcontent superstar:

GoJo points out that once again, James Harden got what he wanted. But he notes that the question becomes: Is there any reason to believe it’s going to work this time? Is Harden, Russ, PG and Kawhi the Big 4 that can bring a title to L.A.’s other team? Senior had one takeaway from it all.

As points go to GoJo for expertly using the Pawn Stars meme to describe all the L.A. guys winding up with the Clips instead of the Lakers.

Senior points out that Harden is now the fourth former MVP to be moved four times, including his once-again teammate Russell Westbrook. Will it do anything for this Clippers team? We’ll wait and see, but Senior would imagine that most people are leaning toward no, he won’t be the lynchpin of this Clippers squad winning a title. As Senior says, he wanted out, he got out and let’s see how it goes.

GoJo points out that the Clippers are currently fifth in odds to win the NBA Championship on DraftKings Sportsbook at +1200, behind the Celtics, Bucks, Nuggets and Suns. They are tied with the Warriors and ahead of the rival Lakers. GoJo notes that this Clippers team has three of the top six active players in points scored who have never won a title, per ESPN Stats and Info. Especially in this year’s Western Conference with the Nuggets and Suns still looking like the clear top two options, GoJo says it’s understandable the Clips would be third in that order. He says the most interesting thing relative to expectations is how the Clippers look relative to the Lakers. GoJo points out the elephant in the room, the fact that we still haven’t seen Kawhi Leonard fully healthy in a while, or even Paul George for that matter, as well as the potential for friction between Harden and Russ given their varying takes on work ethic.

Senior also points out the age of this new Big 4 — PG is 33, Harden is 34, Kawhi is 32 and Russ is 34. So, as Senior points out you got these guys together but it won’t be for long likely and you got guys together coming together toward the end of their career. Can they catch lightning in a bottle? Can Kawhi stay healthy? GoJo, meanwhile, points out that we have no idea what type of shape Harden is going to be in given the drama surrounding him and his absence for much of the preseason.

From the Philly side of this deal. GoJo says it must be a sigh of relief for the 76ers just to be done with all of this Harden drama. He points out that they picked up some expiring contracts and positioned themselves to make another move to bring a star back to pair with Joel Embiid. They get to turn the page and focus on what they’re going to take this team for the remainder of Embiid’s physical peak.

Senior points out that a Big 3 of Embiid, Maxey and Harris doesn’t seem likely to bring a championship to the City of Brotherly Love. He says you do have to wonder if the 76ers are just going to run out of time to win a title in this Embiid window, pending of course how they may or may not use the assets acquired in this deal. But he just doesn’t see how as constituted they could have the juice to compete with the top of the Eastern Conference.

GoJo points out that the 76ers odds have also changed as a result of the deal, with Philly now sitting with the eighth-best odds to win the title as of writing on DraftKings Sportsbook at +1800. As GoJo says, congratulations or I’m sorry, whichever feels more applicable as the James Harden era in Philadelphia comes to a predictable close.

Meanwhile, Senior’s choice of favorite Halloween candy had GoJo and Jessie shocked and chagrined.

SHOW BREAKDOWN

Hour 1: Brad Spielberger, PFF Salary Cap Analyst with Trade Deadline Updates, Denver’s Plans & Trading Draft Capital + Holy Jahmyr Gibbs, Poor Devante Adams, Mad Dabo Swinney & Happy Halloween

Hour 2: Heather Dinich on CFP rankings, Alabama, how the selection committee votes, and teams passing the ‘Eye Test’ + Top 3 Halloween Candies and Proper Trick or Treat Etiquette

VIDEO:

Watch GoJo and Golic every weekday on Samsung TV Plus, Roku, Xumo Play and DraftKingsNetwork.com from 8 to 10 a.m. ET. The show will also be available via audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow Mike Golic Sr. on X at @golic and Mike Golic Jr. on X at @mikegolicjr.

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