In a shocking development ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, star guard james harden I’m on my way out of Los Angeles.
Harden, who missed the past two games for personal reasons, helped lead the Clippers back into the playoffs after a 6-21 start, the team said. They sit in 9th place in the Western Conference with 23 wins and 26 losses.
Harden, 36, has been traded four times in his career, three of which were due to trade requests: from the Houston Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets (2021). Nets vs. Philadelphia 76ers (2022). and from the 76ers to the Clippers (2023). Harden is averaging 25.4 points per game this season, his highest since his last full season in Houston in 2020-21. He has played in 44 games, averaging 35.4 minutes.
Why did Harden and the Clippers part ways, and what does Harden’s potential departure mean for LA’s future? NBA insiders answer your biggest questions.
So what’s next for the Clippers?
Just two weeks ago, Harden talked about how “blessed” he feels to be playing in his hometown at this stage of his career. No matter how you look at it, that feeling was shared by the organization.
Harden is also well-liked in LA and has been more productive than anyone expected after how his days in Philadelphia ended. The problem is that, at 36 years old, he’s probably scheduled to receive a salary similar to what the best player on a championship contender makes, not the salary of an aging superstar on a team that missed out on a championship.
Moving Harden and acquiring Darius Garland gives the Clippers a future.
This is saying something considering how much the Clippers are losing draft picks and promising young players.
It’s unclear where this leaves us Kawhi LeonardThe 34-year-old helped get the Clippers back into the playoff chase after a terrible start. — Ramona Shelburne
And what’s next for the Cavaliers?
With two trades that broke the lock-up of high-spending teams on the second apron, the Cavs overhauled their backcourt to better support their franchise player. donovan mitchell.
Harden’s acquisition was a complete surprise, with Harden opting to leave his hometown team in the midst of an exciting season and the Cavaliers moving on from a multi-time All-Star who is 10 years his junior and on a multi-season contract.
But the Cavs clearly think the team hasn’t done enough this season, and while Garland has battled a number of injuries, Harden has proven to be reliable and able to put up big numbers when it matters, despite his age. It will take time to find a way to share the ball with Mitchell, but Harden has plenty of experience coming off a midseason trade.
The Cavs have made two things clear.
1. This makes some sense considering they are fully committed to 2026, need to sign Mitchell to a contract extension this summer, and the East is perceived to be wide open (sorry to Detroit).
2. They are no longer precious about the “Core 4” (rest in peace). That means they might not be done yet, and seeing as they’ve at least had some conversations, Giannis Antetokounmpo and anthony davisaccording to officials, they should be considered motivated to continue observing the movement.
They are still restricted to the second apron, so a big deal like this would require a money-dumping conspiracy, likely including a pay cut. lonzo ballBut the Cavaliers’ aggressiveness shouldn’t be underestimated at this point. — Brian Windhorst
What was the scene inside Intuit Dome on Monday night?
Harden was nowhere to be found, missing his second straight game for what the team called personal reasons. But it was no secret at the venue that he was playing in what was likely his last game with the Clippers.
Players from both the Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers whispered to each other about the situation before the game, and before the tip they discussed the idea of him remaining in Cleveland. With several Clippers players wearing Harden’s signature shoes (which is normal), LA lost 16-2 and looked flat out of the gate.
It was the second night of a back-to-back, and it happened, but Harden’s tenure in Los Angeles was marked by him leading the team through difficult times. It felt as if the team understood and expressed what was going on. — Windhorst
What are the early conversations across the NBA?
The main reaction around the league is: What will Cleveland do next?
The Cavaliers moving on from one of their “core four” players is a big change from how they’ve operated over the past few years, when they’ve built everything around the idea of building around Garland. donovan mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
The move is in recognition of a disappointing season in which they have remained in the bottom half of the East playoffs virtually all season, despite entering the season as co-favorites to win the East title at worst.
But from a talent standpoint, the reaction is almost universally in Cleveland’s favor. Harden may be 10 years older, but he’s clearly gotten better and healthier this season.
However, given the leverage Harden has to keep a trade going, there is curiosity around the league about what a potential deal would look like for Harden this summer, when he becomes a free agent if he declines next year’s player option. — Tim Bontemps
How does this transaction affect my contract?
There are two salary cap mechanisms finalized in this bill. james harden-for-Darius Garland trade.
The first is that Harden will be exempt from bird restrictions for one year. The de facto no-trade clause comes from Harden signing a two-year contract with the Clippers in the offseason that included a player option.
Second, Harding earns a 15% trade bonus worth $2.3 million in his contract. Harden will have to reduce his bonus to $266,397 because the Cavaliers are a second-apron team and are not allowed to take back additional salary in a trade. — Bobby Marks
What does being traded for the fifth time in Harden’s career mean for his legacy?
Welcome to modern stardom. Throughout the 1990s, only two MVPs played for three or more teams during their career. moses malone (7 people, 2 more in ABA) and Bob McAdoo (7 people). It’s been both the exception and the rule ever since Shaquille O’Neal played for six teams and jumped up to four teams in just as many seasons at the end of his career.
Harden’s former Brooklyn Nets and Oklahoma City Thunder teammate kevin durant He has played for five teams and has only been traded twice. and russell westbrookHe is a teammate of the Thunder, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Clippers, and his team number is 7. It’s easy to extrapolate this to the era of so-called “player empowerment,” but the reality is that teams are moving away from high-paid star players faster than ever before.
Harden coming full circle and finishing his career with his hometown Clippers was a great storyline, and certainly more romantic than Harden going to the Cavaliers, who have no particular ties to the Cavaliers other than their history of serving as a late-era home base for itinerant former MVP O’Neal and Derrick Rose.
Still, the difference between Harden (and Westbrook) and Durant is that he belongs to a specific franchise. No matter how many teams Harden ends up playing for, he will always be remembered as a member of the Houston Rockets, even if he wins an elusive championship elsewhere. Harden is the franchise leader in 3s, assists and triple-doubles and ranks second behind other MVPs. Hakeem Olajuwon In scoring.
Harden’s eight full seasons in Houston, which resulted in an MVP award and two appearances in the Conference Finals, will be his lasting legacy. — Kevin Pelton
What will Harden bring to Cleveland at age 36?
One of the ironies of Harden’s trade request was that he was playing his best basketball in years.
The 2017-18 NBA MVP is one of just four players this season with the highest scoring and usage percentages since leaving Houston five years ago. Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and Cade Cunningham –Average at least 25 points and 8 assists per game.
And while he’s not as efficient on the field as he was at his peak, he makes up for it by drawing a ton of fouls. Among high-usage stars, Harden has a higher true shooting percentage than Cunningham. jalen brunson, Jaylen Brown and Devin Booker.
In other words, Harden is still a powerhouse in the offense, with advanced stats that put him in the range of Kevin Durant (another veteran who is still very capable well into his late 30s) in terms of offensive impact.
According to , the Clippers are scoring 120.4 points per 100 possessions with Harden on the court. data ballversus just 109.5 without him. That’s the difference between a top-three offense and a bottom-three unit. With Harden and another star player on the team, the results will be even better. Harden and Kawhi Leonard have a very high combined offensive rating of 125.1.
But part of Harden’s legacy is the uncertainty of whether his statistical resurgence will translate into the postseason. Last season, he scored just seven points in Game 7 as the Clippers were eliminated. In the 2023-24 season, he scored a total of 23 points, surpassing the Clippers’ previous two losses. And in the 2022-23 season, he scored just nine points in Game 7, which the 76ers lost.
Harden could help Cleveland over the next few months, especially since he’s available almost all the time. He played in 44 of the Clippers’ first 47 games this season, missing the final two. However, the Cavs would be better off relying on other scorers once they reach the postseason. — Zach Crumb