Rival executives think Clippers may explore trading James Harden or Kawhi Leonard
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The Los Angeles Clippers’ 6-18 start has sparked league-wide speculation that the front office could move All-Stars James Harden or Kawhi Leonard to reset the roster and regain future assets, according to reporting from ESPN.
With the NBA still investigating the organization and little on-court progress to show, some inside the club have discussed advancing their salary-cap flexibility plan from the 2027 offseason to the summer of 2024, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reported. Reaching that goal would likely require sending out one of the team’s two marquee contracts—Harden, who holds a $42 million player option for 2026-27, or Leonard, owed $50 million in the same season.
The Clippers do not control their own first-round draft pick until 2030, making a potential star trade the most direct path to adding meaningful draft capital. Rival front-office personnel view Harden as the more movable piece thanks to his recent health and production, while Leonard’s injury history and the ongoing league probe complicate his market.
Los Angeles is eyeing a 2026 free-agent class that could feature Trae Young, Zach LaVine, Anfernee Simons, Jonathan Kuminga, Austin Reaves and Coby White. League sources told ESPN that Young and Reaves are the most attractive names, although Reaves is widely expected to stay with the Lakers and Young’s future in Atlanta remains uncertain. Some executives question how much a 28-year-old Young—returning from injury and still viewed as a defensive liability—would elevate the Clippers.
Online chatter has floated scenarios such as a “reverse Kawhi rental,” in which another contender takes a one-year swing at a title while the Clippers prioritize acquiring younger players and picks. One rival executive cited by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst pointed to the Phoenix Suns, who rebuilt from a dire cap situation to a playoff team within two seasons, as proof a rapid turnaround is possible.
For now, the Clippers remain near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, and league insiders increasingly doubt the current core will stay intact through the 2025-26 campaign.
Source: Hoops Wire
