Clippers Trade Idea Has Team Sending Their Best Player to Canada

The Los Angeles Clippers could blow it up. They tried to build a contending team around James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, but things haven’t gone as planned. They probably paired these stars up too late in their careers. They’re not going to be good enough to beat the talented young teams in the Western Conference. 

So what should they do? It may be time to cut weight and start trading their valuable pieces. 

Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report proposed “1 Trade Every NBA Team Would Make If the Deadline Was Today,” and his Clippers trade urged the team to get rid of their star guard. 

“The trade: James Harden to the Toronto Raptors for RJ Barrett, Ochai Agbaji, Jamal Shead and 2026 first-round pick (top-5 protected)

Admittedly, it's hard to say with any certainty that the Clippers would seriously explore this option if they could. They aren't sending any signs of an impending fire-sale, and maybe they haven't totally ditched the dream of constructing a competitor around Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Ivica Zubac.

All of that said, how much more evidence do they need that this approach isn't working? Their historically ancient roster has shown its age, and this purported contender has ranked among the season's least competitive clubs.”

While this may be the right type of trade for the Clippers to make, they won't do it. Instead of putting Harden and Leonard available on the trade market, the Clippers have said they still want to compete. It makes sense because they don't own their own pick in this year's draft. Still, climbing back into the Western Conference playoff picture is going to be very difficult. Let's see if they can turn things around.