A shocking incident has come to light just ahead of nba trade deadline Thursday, Star Guard james harden Is on your way Of Los Angeles.
According to the team, Harden, who missed the previous two games due to personal reasons, helped get the Clippers back into the playoff picture after a 6–21 start. They are 23-26 and in ninth place in the Western Conference.
Harden, 36, has been traded four times in his career, three of which came after trade requests: From Houston Rockets till Brooklyn Nets (2021); trap to philadelphia 76ers (2022); And then from the 76ers to the Clippers (2023). Harden is averaging 25.4 points per game this season, his highest since his final full season in Houston in 2020-21. He has played 44 games and averaged 35.4 minutes.
Why did Harden and the Clippers part ways? And what does Harden’s potential departure mean for L.A.’s future? Our NBA insiders answer the biggest questions:
So what’s next for the Clippers?
As recently as two weeks ago, Harden was talking about how “blessed” he feels to be able to play in his hometown at this stage of his career. By all accounts, emotion was intertwined with organization.
Harden was well liked in LA and was more productive than anyone expected after his time in Philadelphia ended. The problem is, he’s 36 years old and the salary the best player in a contender gets doesn’t equate to an aging superstar on a team that may have missed its championship window.
Moving Harden, and getting Darius Garland, gives the Clippers something to look forward to.
Which is saying something considering how deprived the Clippers are of draft picks and promising young players.
It is not clear where it will turn out kawhi leonard34, who has helped the Clippers get back to the playoffs after their terrible start. — Ramona Shelburne
And what’s next for the Cavaliers?
In two trades that pierced the lock on second apron attempts on high-spending teams, the Cavs completely rebuilt their backcourt in an effort to better support the franchise player. Donovan Mitchell.
The acquisition of Harden is truly an unexpected turn, with Harden opting to leave his hometown team in the midst of an inspiring season-turning hot streak — and the Cavs moving on from a decades-younger, multi-time All-Star who is under contract for multiple seasons.
But the Cavs clearly didn’t think they were good enough this season and Harden has shown despite his age that he is reliable and can put up big numbers in big minutes while Garland has battled multiple injuries. Figuring out how to share the ball with Mitchell is going to take time, but Harden has plenty of experience navigating midseason trades.
The Cavs are making two things clear:
1. They’re all set in 2026, which makes some sense considering they need Mitchell to sign an extension this summer and the East is widely considered wide open (apologies to Detroit).
2. They’re no longer precious about their “core four” (RIP). This means that they may not have been fulfilled, and given that they have at least had some conversation about giannis antetokounmpo And anthony davisHe should be considered motivated to keep watching the moves, sources said.
They’re still second-apron restricted, so such a big deal would require a money-dumping conspiracy, which would probably also involve salary cuts. lonzo ballBut the Cavs’ aggressiveness shouldn’t be underestimated at this point. –Brian Windhorst
What was the scene inside the Intuit Dome on Monday night?
Harden was nowhere to be found, with the team missing its second consecutive game due to personal reasons. Although he probably played his last game for the Clippers, it was no secret.
Players from both teams, the Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers, whispered about the situation before the game and also talked before tipoff about the concept of him ending up in Cleveland. With a handful of Clippers players wearing Harden’s signed shoes (which are normal), LA fell 16-2 and looked flat out of the gate.
It was the second night of a back-to-back, and it happens, but Harden’s tenure in L.A. was marked by leading the team through tough times. It felt as if the team were expressing themselves knowing what was going on. –Windhorst
What is the starting conversation in the NBA?
The main reaction around the league is wondering what’s next for Cleveland.
The Cavaliers moving on from one of their “core four” players is a huge departure from the way they have operated over the past few years, when they have built everything with the mentality of building around Garland, Donovan Mitchell, evan mobley And jarrett allen.
The move is the hallmark of their disappointing season, which has seen them hover at the bottom of the East playoff picture for almost all time – after entering the season, at worst, co-favorites to win the East.
However, from a talent standpoint, the reaction is almost universally in Cleveland’s favor. Harden may be a decade older, but he’s clearly been better — and healthier — this season.
That said, given Harden’s leverage to maintain a trade, there is curiosity around the league as to what a potential contract might look like for Harden this summer should he become a free agent if he declines his player option for next year. –Tim Bontemps
What are the contractual implications of this deal?
Two salary cap mechanisms are finalized in this james harden-For-darius garland Business.
The first is that Harden will waive his one-year Bird ban. The no-trade clause is actually the result of Harden signing a two-year contract with the Clippers in the offseason that included a player option.
Second, Harding has a 15% trade bonus in his contract, worth $2.3M. Because the Cavaliers are a second-tier team and are not allowed to withhold extra salary in a trade, Harden would have to reduce his bonus to $266,397. –Bobby Marks
What does it mean for Harden’s legacy that he is being traded for the fifth time in his career?
Welcome to modern stardom. By the 1990s, only two MVPs had played for more than three teams during their careers: moses malone (seven, plus two more in the ABA) and Bob McAdoo (seven). Since Shaquille O’Neal played for six teams at the end of his career and moved up to four in several seasons, this has been the rule as well as the exception.
Harden’s former Brooklyn Nets and oklahoma city thunder TeamMite Kevin Durant Has played for five teams, although only two trades are in the mix. And Russell WestbrookThe Thunder, along with the Houston Rockets and LA Clippers, their teammates, are ranked team number seven. While it’s easy to link this to the so-called “player empowerment” era, the reality is that teams are moving on from aging stars with higher salaries faster than ever before.
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Harden coming all the way to finish his career with his hometown Clippers was a nice story, and certainly more romantic than Harden going to the Cavaliers, which had no particular connection to this organization but rather a history of serving as late-era stops for former MVPs 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 plays for, even if he wins an elusive championship elsewhere, he will always be remembered as a member of the Houston Rockets. Harden is the franchise leader in 3s, assists and triple-doubles, second only to fellow MVPs Hakeem Olajuwon In scoring.
The eight full seasons Harden spent in Houston, which resulted in an MVP and two trips to the Conference Finals, will be his lasting legacy. –Kevin Pelton
What does Harden bring to Cleveland at age 36?
One irony of Harden’s trade request was that he is playing his best basketball in years.
The 2017-18 NBA MVP is posting his highest scoring average and usage rate since leaving Houston half a decade ago, and he’s one of just four players this season — as well luka doncic, Nikola Jokic And Cade Cunningham – Averaged at least 25 points and eight assists per game.
And while he’s not as efficient on the field as he was in his prime, he makes up for it by committing a lot of fouls. Among high-usage stars, Harden’s actual shooting percentage is higher than Cunningham, Jalen Brunson, jaylen brown And devin booker.
In other words, Harden is still an offensive engine unto himself, with advanced stats that put him in the same league in terms of offensive impact as Kevin Durant – another veteran who is still excelling in his late 30s.
The Clippers are scoring 120.4 points per 100 possessions with Harden on the court databallrvs. only 109.5 without him; That’s the difference between a top-three offense and a bottom-three unit. Harden’s team is with another star, and the results are even better: Harden and Kawhi Leonard have a combined offensive rating of 125.1.
However, part of Harden’s legacy is uncertainty over whether his statistical renaissance will translate into the postseason. Last season, he scored only seven points in Game 7 as the Clippers were eliminated; In 2023–24, he scored a combined 23 points in the Clippers’ last two losses; And in 2022–23, he scored only nine points in Game 7 as the 76ers fell.
Harden could still help Cleveland over the next few months, especially because he is almost always available: He played in 44 of the Clippers’ first 47 games this season and missed the last two. But after reaching the postseason, the Cavs were able to rely on other scorers. – Zack Cram
