The Los Angeles Clippers made a move that surprised just about everyone when they shipped James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland. It wasn’t the trade itself that caught people off guard as much as the timing. The Clippers had finally started clicking, and Harden seemed like a big part of that. So why pull the plug now?
Kawhi Leonard addressed the situation after Wednesday’s game at Intuit Dome, speaking with beat writer Joey Linn. He didn’t try to sugarcoat it. Losing Harden stung, especially considering how well things had been going lately.
“It’s shocking, but this is the NBA. It’s business. He was a great teammate, spent time together, had great memories, and I wish him the best of luck with him and his career. We’re still locked in. And I respect him.”
The Clippers were a mess early on, stumbling to a 6-21 start that had people writing them off. Then something clicked. They rattled off 17 wins in their next 21 games, with Harden and Leonard leading the charge.
But even during that run, it never really felt like Harden saw a championship in the cards. Leonard, meanwhile, is now seven years into his Clippers tenure, and the trophy case remains empty.
It’s been a cycle of new faces, flashes of hope, and the same disappointing finish. Three consecutive first-round exits paint the picture clearly enough.
When Leonard first committed to Los Angeles, the vision was built around surrounding him with star talent. Paul George came first, then Harden joined from the Philadelphia 76ers back in 2023. Now they’re both elsewhere, and Leonard is the only one left from that core.
“You know, players come in and out all the time now, throughout organizations. Like I said, it’s the NBA. We know why these guys left, and, I wish him the best of luck. Tried to help him stay but business calls, and, like I said before, I respect everything that’s going on.”
It feels like the end of an era for the Clippers fans. When asked whether the job felt incomplete, Leonard kept it plain and simple.
“It’s over. Guys are gone.”
Watching Darius Garland share the floor with a two-time Finals MVP should be interesting, at the very least. It’s a shift from what Clippers fans have grown accustomed to, relying on aging superstars to carry the load.
But it’s also the kind of fresh start that draws attention. That said, there’s buzz building that Garland’s arrival might signal the beginning of the end for Leonard’s time in Los Angeles.
The age difference alone tells you where this could be headed. Leonard is still respected across the league, but the front office now has a 26-year-old, two-time All-Star they can build around for the next decade. Those kinds of situations tend to reshape priorities in a hurry.
Still, Leonard seemed comfortable with how everything played out. When reporters asked if he had any input on the Harden deal, he made it clear he gets how the business works and shares thoughts on his relationship with the Clippers front office:
“Last game, it wasn’t a surprise to everybody. I was playing when I found out the news. It’s the NBA, that’s what happens. They let me know when things come up, but when things come up too fast, it’s hard to tell, or if you’re doing business and you don’t want nobody to say anything, I respect it.”
Kawhi Leonard doesn’t seem too shaken by the James Harden trade. He’s locked in on what’s ahead. The Clippers sit at 23-27 and travel to Sacramento on Friday for a matchup against the Sacramento Kings. It’ll be one of the first real looks at how this team functions with Darius Garland running the show at point guard.
