The Los Angeles Clippers looked to be on the last legs of the Kawhi Leonard and Paul George era heading into this season. In four seasons together, the Clippers have been wracked with injuries. Kawhi tore his ACL in 2021 during the playoffs, which caused him to miss the next season when the Clippers didn’t even make the playoffs. This season, their playoff run ended with both Kawhi and PG getting hurt.
It’s either time to end this experiment or take one last big swing to bring one title to this franchise that has never even made an NBA Finals appearance in LA. That swing could come with James Harden, who has been put on the market by the Philadelphia 76ers after he accepted his player option with the understanding that they would trade him.
If Harden makes his way over to the Clippers on an expiring contract that costs LA players like Terance Mann, Norman Powell, and Marcus Morris Sr. or Robert Covington, the team could look like a bonafide contender next season.Â
Guard: James Harden
Guard: Paul George
Forward: Kawhi Leonard
Forward: Nicolas Batum
Center: Ivica Zubac
Injuries will be a massive concern, but Harden brings to the Clippers an attribute they hadn’t seen until Russell Westbrook’s half-season stint with the squad. That skill is playmaking, as the Clippers have not had an elite point guard to supplement all the talent on the wings. Even with the players they trade, they retain Bones Hyland, one of Covington or Morris Sr., and will have the room to bring back Westbrook and Mason Plumlee.
The financial implications of this wouldn’t be as dire either, as it opens up long-term salary space for the Clippers. All three of their superstars could realistically be free agents in 2024, so the success of the unit together could have massive implications for the future of the franchise.Â
It’s Now Or Never For The Clippers
Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are getting older and even more injury prone. The Clippers have invested very heavily in this current iteration of the franchise and hoped it would have brought him a championship by now. Forget a championship, they’ve only managed to limp to one Western Conference Finals in this era, a massive failure relative to their dynastic expectations.Â
Harden led the league in assists last season and could bring that same value to the Clippers. Westbrook had great success with them due to their offensive strategy leaning towards creating open shots all across the court. Harden might be the more talented option in that role. He averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists last season, and if you add that production to Paul George’s 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists and Kawhi Leonard’s 23.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists, this team has a complementary big three running the show.
Financial Dilemmas For Free Agents
The Clippers have two major free agents that they’ll likely have to bring back if they lose three rotational players in a Harden trade. Russell Westbrook is the first option, who will lose his starting spot to Harden if he ends up coming over. Russ has shown great utility off the bench as well, having his best stretch with the Lakers as a sixth man, so maybe he is willing to play that role again on the Clippers.Â
Given his limited options beyond LA, it’s worth a shot to continue furthering his championship aspirations. The team is reportedly very interested in bringing him back after he averaged 15.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 7.6 assists for the team. Those stats ballooned to 23.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists in the playoffs.
Mason Plumlee joined the team in a midseason trade and averaged 7.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists for the Clippers. He and Ivica Zubac complete the Clippers’ big-man rotation, but the franchise may look for a budget option instead and trust Zubac with more responsibility. It’ll be a sad loss, but for a team that’ll end up paying $126.9 million to just three stars, it’ll be a challenge to retain Plumlee.
Hopefully, they can iron out their free agency strategies soon. Without an acquisition like Harden, it’s hard to see the Clippers being able to keep pace with the top of the West. The Nuggets are top-heavy with depth, while the Suns have too many stars and are targeting more. The Clippers have strong depth even after making this trade for Harden, so they should pursue it and give themselves another chance at competing. If it fails, you can have three superstars come off the books and a chance to rebuild your entire roster.
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