NBA betting: Three picks to make after James Harden trade - ESPN

The James Harden saga with the Philadelphia 76ers ended just in time for Halloween, and only time will tell which team got tricked and which got treated. Here's some actionable info in the immediate aftermath of the trade between the 76ers and LA Clippers.

Harden fundamentally changes the Clippers moving forward. Even at this stage in his career, he is a major usage player whose style requires that he handle the ball a lot and take his share of shots. This will be the third different team in which Harden shares the court with Russell Westbrook, but unlike in their last stop together with the Rockets, this time Harden is the new player trying to fit in on an already established team.

Westbrook is clearly the battery and energy source for this Clippers team, and we've already seen proof he can't be effective as an off-ball guard from his time with the Lakers. Thus, I think Westbrook stays at the point with Harden as more of a scoring, shooting guard. This gives the Clippers four high-volume scoring threats, along with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. If the skill sets mesh, it could make for a potent unit. Fantasy wise, all four players have lower scoring and assist ceilings while sharing the court together.

Harden hadn't played a game for the 76ers this season, so we've already seen that Tyrese Maxey (30.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 6.3 APG, 4.7 3PG) has massive statistical upside this season without Harden. With Harden officially gone, that high ceiling is locked in for Maxey if he stays healthy. The other big fantasy hoops winner for the 76ers is Kelly Oubre Jr., who has averaged 19.0 PPG in 29.3 MPG off the bench, but now becomes the de facto starting power forward with P.J. Tucker gone and a relied-upon scorer behind Maxey and Joel