Tyronn Lue, James Harden, Clippers, James Harden trade rumors
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Head coach Tyronn Lue speaks with James Harden #1 of the Los Angeles Clippers against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Intuit Dome on November 04, 2025 in Inglewood, California.
The game between the LA Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night was severely marred by James Harden trade rumors that began after the 2018 NBA MVP sat out for personal reasons.
After their 128-113 loss, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue was asked about his team’s starting point guard seeking a trade just days before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.
“I can’t comment on rumors. Sorry,” Lue responded, via Clippers beat writer Joey Linn.
Lue went on to praise Harden and rued the idea of losing his services
“He means a lot to our team, and you’ve seen it the last three years. He means a lot,” Lue said of Harden.
When asked whether he’d prefer Harden to stay in Los Angeles beyond the NBA trade deadline, Lue responded, “Who wouldn’t wanna have James Harden?”
James Harden Trade Rumors
Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix reported Monday that the Cavaliers and Clippers were in “advanced discussions” on a deal that would send Harden to Cleveland for former All-Star guard Darius Garland. The report added that the Cavaliers prefer additional draft compensation for Garland, who is 10 years younger than Harden, but the Clippers have no intention to part with their limited draft assets.
“In talks, the Cavaliers have pushed for the Clippers to include draft capital, seeking either a first-round pick or a future swap, sources tell SI. Los Angeles, which has limited draft assets to deal, has rejected those requests.”
ESPN’s Shams Charania also noted Monday night that Harden had asked for a trade.
“Harden, 36, has veto power over any trade because he’s technically under contract for only this season,” wrote Charania. The second year of the two-year, $81.5 million deal he agreed to this past offseason is a player option, which isn’t fully guaranteed.”
Another Setback for Clippers?
For what it’s worth, insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer pushed back on the notion that the Clippers and Cavs are in “advanced talks” on a deal involving Harden, and that discussions between the two sides are focused on John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanovic.
It shouldn’t come as a shock if the Cavaliers do trade Garland, who has appeared in only 26 of their 51 games thus far due to various injuries. The 26-year-old sat out the seven games of the year recovering from offseason toe surgery and has once again been sidelined since Jan. 16 with an ankle sprain.
If the Clippers pull the trigger on a James Harden trade by Thursday, it could once again derail the momentum of a red-hot Clippers team that owns the NBA’s second-best record (12-5), the fifth-best offensive rating (117.6) and ninth-best net rating (3.5) since the start of 2026. In fact, dating back to the start of December, the Clippers have won the third-best games in the league, 18, as part of the midseason resurgence.
Harden was acquired by the Clippers in a midseason trade in 2023-24 from Philadelphia after his publicized fallout with 76ers front-office boss Daryl Morey. “The Beard” similarly had a falling out with teams such as the Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets in previous years, leading to another pair of midseason trades. Harden could be on his sixth different team as early as Thursday.