3 James Harden trade ideas after Clippers star asks out

The Los Angeles Clippers have been the hottest team in the Western Conference coming into the NBA trade deadline. After a horrible 6-21 start, the Clippers rallied to win 17 of their next 22 games to give them a legit shot at making the Western Conference playoffs. Just when it seemed like the Clippers were headed in the right direction, star point guard James Harden decided to throw their season off course.

The Clippers are now working to trade Harden at his request after the franchise reportedly declined to give him the two-year, $80 million extension he’s seeking. Harden is 36 years old and is still playing well enough to be considered an All-Star snub, but the Clippers are determined to maintain max cap space in the summer of 2027, and that means they can’t pay Harden.

There’s already a clubhouse leader to land Harden at the deadline, but no deal is done yet. With the trade deadline looming on Thursday, Feb. 5, here’s three potential fake trades for Harden.

Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland is the biggest rumor out there right now. This deal gets it done. The Cavs reportedly want a pick swap included, but LA is rightfully resisting. It’s hard to figure out who should be getting draft compensation in this deal, and in this offer I threw Cleveland a future second-round pick for their trouble. Garland is only 26 years old, making him 10 years younger than Harden, but he’s dealt with constant injury issues over the last few years. His big toe injury doomed Cleveland’s playoff run last season after a 64-win regular season, and he hasn’t been able to get healthy this year. You never trade young for old in the NBA, but if Garland can’t stay healthy, does that guideline really need to be followed? This trade would infringe on the Clippers’ 2027 cap space as Garland is locked up through 2028, but he’s good enough and young enough when healthy to make it worth it for LA.

This is my favorite fake Harden trade, one that returns him to Houston where he spent the best years of his career. The Rockets need a lead guard at the deadline, and there still aren’t many better than Harden. Fred VanVleet is out for the season, and Dorian Finney-Smith as barely played after signing in Houston this summer as a free agent. The Clippers include a 2028 first-round pick — they can haggle about the protections — which would be great for such a pick-deprived organization. Harden and Kevin Durant would put the Rockets into immediate win-now mode, but that pairing looked electric last time we saw it in Brooklyn. Add in Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Reed Sheppard, and this team looks legit for a playoff run this year.

This deal sending Harden to the Atlanta Hawks would essentially be a salary dump for the Clippers, which is disappointing given how well they’ve been playing lately. Kristaps Porzingis has been awesome when he’s healthy for the Hawks, but he’s never healthy, and he’s currently sidelined with an Achilles strain in addition to the illness he’s been battling for more than a year. This trade would keep the Clippers’ 2027 cap space clean, and give Atlanta a new lead guard after they traded Trae Young earlier in the year.

What’s your favorite fake James Harden trade?

I tried to get him to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but the salaries don’t work out. Would you even want Harden as a GM given his legendary playoff failures? Is anyone giving him an $80 million contract at his age? Leave your suggests in the comments.