It's been said that there are no win/win trades in the NBA. That may be true. Any given trade may have a distinct winner.
With that said, we've seen deals that benefitted both sides. Sometimes, two teams have complementary needs. One team may have a narrow title window to capitalize on. The other team may have a disgruntled superstar on their hands. That sounds like the foundation of a mutually beneficial deal.
That was the situation when the LA Clippers acquired James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers. Harden's relationship with Sixers General Manager Daryl Morey had imploded. The Clippers needed a point guard. A deal was born.
Did the deal benefit both sides? That's a matter of debate For that matter, it won't be clear until the dust has settled on the 2023-24 season.
Let's re-grade the trade from the Clippers' point of view anyway.