Any team that loses a star is destined to take some type of step back. That much is likely to prove true for the LA Clippers, which came to terms on a shocking trade to send James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline despite going 16-4 over his final 20 games.
Though losing Harden undoubtedly stings, trading the former MVP and starting center Ivica Zubac has suddenly given the Clippers a future they never would've had without those stunning moves.
Prior to trading Harden, seven of the players on the Clippers' roster were at least 31 years of age. Each of those seven players were averaging a minimum of 17.8 minutes per game, and only five other players who hit that mark were under 30.
That isn't necessarily a dreadful balance, but the unfortunate truth facing the Clippers was that the five players under 30 weren't necessarily known as potential franchise cornerstones.
Zubac was an exception to that rule, but he'll turn 29 in March and doesn't necessarily represent a long-term future beyond the 36-year-old Harden or 34-year-old Kawhi Leonard. For that matter, defensive ace Derrick Jones Jr. will turn 29 a day after Valentine's Day and John Collins, 28, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
26-year-old Jordan Miller and 23-year-old Kobe Sanders have been pleasant surprises in 2025-26, but the Clippers' lack of an under-30 cornerstone remained an issue—and they didn't exactly have the draft picks to change that fact.
Trades saved Clippers from bleak future with limited resources, upside
In addition to lacking under-30 cornerstones, the Clippers approached the deadline with painfully limited resources on the NBA Draft front. They were to be without a first-round pick in 2026 and 2028, meaning they'd have just one opportunity to land a potential cornerstone in Round 1 between now and 2029.
In the trade that sent Zubac to the Indiana Pacers, however, the Clippers received first-round picks in 2026 and 2029, and a second-round selection in 2028.
The Pacers' 2026 first-round pick is uniquely protected between No. 1 and No. 4, as well as No. 10 and No. 30. It will translate to an unprotected 2031 first-round pick if it doesn't convey in 2026, however, and the 2029 selection is unprotected.
That alone positions the Clippers to either utilize future first-round picks to improve their future or use said selections in potential trades for either proven talent or selections in sooner drafts.
Darius Garland is the young building block Clippers desperately needed
Perhaps the most significant addition to LA's core, however, was point guard Darius Garland. Garland is already a two-time All-Star at 26 years of age who has three postseason appearances to his name in a co-starring role alongside Donovan Mitchell.
Garland's ability to coexist with another ball-dominant star not only bodes well for his pairing with Leonard, but should help the Clippers build with other potential high-volume contributors.
Furthermore, a forgotten fact is that Garland rose to stardom before Mitchell arrived in Cleveland in 2022-23. He earned his first career All-Star nod in 2021-22, when he guided the Cavaliers to a 22-win improvement from 22-60 to 44-38—leading the team in points, assists, steals, and three-point field goals made per game.
Garland will now team up with a two-time Finals MVP in Leonard as he attempts to help another franchise overachieve.
It's also worth noting that the Clippers added a productive 23-year-old scorer in Bennedict Mathurin and a quality 6'8" forward in 24-year-old Isaiah Jackson. Both figure to factor heavily into the rotation, with Mathurin currently averaging 17.8 points per game on .433/.372/.884 shooting and Jackson tallying 6.4 points and 5.6 rebounds in just 16.8 minutes per contest.
With an infusion of youth, talent, athleticism, and draft capital, the Clippers suddenly have a future beyond their season-to-season approach with 30-plus stars. Two controversial trades made it possible.