Just when the Clippers got some momentum, they made a major move? Just when they started winning, they dealt one of their two stars? Just when they were turning heads, they cut their Beard?
This might seem like the most Clippers move ever.
But not so fast.
The Clippers’ decision to deal James Harden for Darius Garland on Tuesday is a smart long-term move for a franchise that needs to look ahead.
The 26-year-old Garland is 10 years younger than Harden. He’s a two-time All-Star in 2022 and 2025. He could be a cornerstone of their future, which they’re clearly looking to reshape in the 2027 offseason.
The move benefits Harden, too.
It gives him a chance to win now alongside Donovan Mitchell, and secure a contract extension that the Clippers weren’t willing to pull the trigger on for a 36-year-old.
Unlike Harden’s previous departures from Houston, Brooklyn and Philadelphia, this wasn’t an acerbic breakup colored by strong-arming and bitterness. Rather, this was a mutually beneficial handshake for both parties.
The Clippers desperately needed to get younger after entering this season with the oldest roster in NBA history, with an average age of 33.2 years old. Meanwhile, Harden, who’s one of the most lauded players in the league to have never won a championship, gets a chance to play for a team that’s in fifth-place in the wide open East, as opposed to ninth-place in the very crowded West.
The Cavaliers won 64 games last season before being eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by Indiana. For the Cavs, Harden is a savvy vet with lots of postseason experience who could help them break the glass ceiling that has been impenetrable since LeBron James left Cleveland in free agency in 2018.
As for the Clippers, they’re punting this season in hopes for their future.
But let’s be real, they weren’t going to win anyway.
Their 17-5 record following their 6-21 start was exciting. It generated headlines. It was a feel-good story. But they had already lost too much ground to compete in a conference with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Webanyama, Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant and Luka Doncic.
For the Clippers, this may look like a step backward.
Garland, who’s averaging 18 points, 2.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists through 26 games, missed the Cavaliers’ first seven games of the season while recovering from toe surgery and has been sidelined since Jan. 16 because of an ankle sprain. Harden, meanwhile, has played in 44 of a possible 49 games, averaging 25.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 8.1 assists.
In other words, if Harden is rolling, Garland is strolling.
But this is the first of what will be many important steps the Clippers need to take to rebuild. They failed to make the playoffs in 2022 and they haven’t gotten past the first round of the playoffs ever since. Garland might not be at Harden’s level now, but he has a lot of potential.
It was a smart gamble, even though Garland’s contract is similar to what the Clippers balked at giving Harden. Garland is owed $42.2 million next season and $44.9 million in 2027-28.
For the Clippers, the Leonard-Harden experiment just didn’t work. Leonard has been injured too often. Harden can no longer carry a team. The Clippers are looking forward to 2027 and this is preparing them for their potential post-Leonard era.
Even though Leonard looks like an All-NBA player right now, he’s complicated. He has missed more than 200 games since joining the Clippers in free agency in 2019, as well as multiple playoff series. Not to mention, both he and the Clippers are currently being investigated regarding allegations that a $28 million endorsement deal with the company Aspiration was used to circumvent salary-cap rules.
Leonard is under contract through the 2026-27 season. He’s still capable of tilting the league to his will when he’s healthy. But in many ways, he’s a wild card.
By trading Harden, the Clippers made it clear that they’re preparing for what’s next.
This move was a step in the right direction for both parties, giving both the Clippers and Harden a shot at the futures they desire.
