The question, " Why is James Harden no longer a member of the LA Clippers?” can be answered with one word: business. On the ‘ALL NBA Podcast,’ Marc Stein of ‘The Stein Line’ confirmed the Clippers did not want to move on from the former MVP, but instead, he sought an exit because long-term extension talks were not progressing anywhere, which is the truth fans must wrap their heads around; both parties left things in a good place.
Though Darius Garland is a nice addition, and just 26 years old, the Clippers would not randomly wake up a few days before the deadline and decide to deal their lead floor general, who had the second-largest role in LA’s 6-21 turnaround.
To Stein’s point, Harden was playing extremely well with Kawhi Leonard. While he did not get to increase his All-Star selection count to 12, averaging over 25 points and eight assists was extremely valuable play, and the Clippers knew it.
Thus, Harden was wanted for the short term, and that is not what he felt was best for his career.
James Harden singlehandedly shifted the Clippers’ plans
All along, it has been evident that the LA Clippers’ strategy was to keep their books clean throughout the next two offseasons. James Harden, in particular, had a player-option for next season, meaning even if he opted in, he would still be a free agent in 2027; everything was plotted to perfection, and Harden’s contract aligned with it.
However, with Harden having stronger desires, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, which shifted the Clippers’ plans right away. The front office did not want to pivot from a strategy that would give them the utmost financial freedom, but plans do, in fact, change, sometimes spontaneously.
In 2022, Garland agreed to a five-year, $197.23 million rookie extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers. With his trade to LA coming nearly 4 years after the extension was signed, the two-time All-Star will be under contract through 2028.
That is two more seasons of fully guaranteed money the front office will have to navigate to obtain what is best for the team via trades and free agency. They can no longer just offer a player a check that appeals to them and is a perfect fit without thinking twice.
That said, the Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers are thrilled with the result. LA got younger, and Cleveland received help for a deep playoff run, yet the backstory is understandable, forcing Clipper Nation to accept it and move on.