If the Los Angeles Clippers decide to blow things up, then they may encounter difficulty in parting ways with stars Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps said at the 52:45 mark in the newest episode of the Hoop Collective podcast that “there is not a trade market for Kawhi Leonard around the league, I don’t think.” He said the situation is pretty much the same when it comes to Harden.
Colleague Brian Windhorst chimed in to say that Harden would generate some interest, with Bontemps clarifying that the return in any deal wouldn’t help the Clippers that much.
Therein lies the dilemma for Los Angeles amid their brutal 10-21 start.
Leonard makes $50 million this year and is owed another $50.3 million in 2026-27. Harden earns $39.2 million and has a $42.3 million player option for next season.
Thanks to the restrictions for teams in the luxury tax, trading big contracts isn’t easy even when you’re talking about star players in their prime. Leonard and Harden have additional considerations that complicate matters.
They’re both in their mid-30s. Leonard has a long track record of injuries, most recently missing 10 games in November because of ankle and foot sprains. Harden simply isn’t the same player he was during his peak with the Houston Rockets.
Leonard is averaging 27.5 points and shooting 49.5 percent from the field, including 37.5 percent from beyond the arc. Harden is putting up 26.3 points and eight assists per contest.
Either would be a helpful addition to a playoff contender. However, they probably wouldn’t fetch the kind of draft capital that helps to accelerate a rebuild for Los Angeles.
The Clippers’ recent performances point to how staying the course might be the right path anyway. They’re riding a four-game winning streak after Sunday’s 112-99 victory over the Detroit Pistons, with Leonard dropping 55 points on the night.
L.A. is only 2.5 games back of the final play-in spot, and a 9.5-game gap on the sixth-place Minnesota Timberwolves isn’t insurmountable. It’s difficult to picture how the Clippers can dethrone the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, but simply qualifying for the playoffs would be an accomplishment.
If the last week is any indication, that door remains wide open.
