Los Angeles Clippers Likely To Move Away From Their Current Core In The Coming Years

When Kawhi Leonard arrived in Los Angeles, many around the NBA believed that the Clippers had finally arrived and may have the firepower to become a genuine NBA Championship contender. Unfortunately, his stint with the team has been filled with nothing but disappointment, even with a star like Paul George alongside him for a majority of that tenure.

Now, it appears as though star point guard James Harden has asked for a trade, and if that goes through, it's hard to see what the future holds for the Clippers. According to Sam Amick, that future includes moving on from the current core, with the summer of 2027 likely being the time that they move on from everyone involved.

“As league sources close to James Harden discussed with The Athletic, the Clippers’ long-term plan of clearing their salary cap books for the summer of 2027 was a factor in this decision. Here he was playing elite-level basketball at age 36, knowing full well that the organization is widely expected to pivot away from this current core two summers from now, and the present day suddenly crashed headlong into his unknown hoops future.”

That likely includes Leonard, Ivica Zubac and John Collins, but if the team do move on from Harden, it's likely that the majority of them won't make it to 2027 anyway.

Despite trying to step out of the Lakers shadow in LA, the Clippers remain a team that simply can't put the right core together, but if they get the right returns for some of these players, they may be set up for success with their next core.