John Collins, James Harden
For a number of years now, James Harden has been considered a big deal. During his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder, he was the best sixth man in the NBA and nearly helped them win a championship. He went to the Houston Rockets and became one of the most dominant players of his era.
With the Brooklyn Nets, his trade demand spoke the loudest, but he former an incredible big three with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Playoff failures and inconsistencies doomed him with the Philadelphia 76ers. And now, despite the Los Angeles Clippers going 16-4 in 20-game stretch, he requested a trade.
Of course, Harden has played an an All-Star level this year, despite the snub. He’s still proven to be a very good player. But it appears he continues to make headlines, whether dominating or requesting a trade, which he has now done on several teams.
John Collins has weighed in on the deal. Let’s get into that.
John Collins with Words on James Harden Trade Request
Of course, this James Harden trade request is not private. It’s a public story, so it’s going to affect many. With that said, his teammate John Collins was asked about it after last night’s loss. Collins had the following to say to reporter Joey Linn:
“It was shocking.”
Is it disappointing?
“Hell ya. It would be a shock for me and for the team. And what we’ve been able to do. Our season turned around. Definitely something different. Out of left field.”
Collins has been an integral part of the team’s turnaround, shooting the three-ball well and doing a great job as a lob threat and rebounder. On his third NBA team, he seems to be fitting in well with everything they’ve been doing.
A team that started 6-21 and then opted to send retirement-tour bound Chris Paul home, LA has completely turned things around.
When Harden makes headlines again with news of a trade request, it’s not something the team is going to like. Ty Lue, as expected, was mum on the situation. Collins gave his candid answer and it’s probably how the whole squad feels.
Trade destinations have already been discussed, with the Cleveland Cavaliers emerging as one of the favorites. Whatever happens here, it’s certainly going to be undoing the recent success.
What’s Next for the Los Angeles Clippers?
Their slow start gone with the turnaround in the past 20 games, the Clippers had been quietly winning a lot of games. They will certainly be in the news through the end of Thursday’s trade deadline now, though. John Collins is likely to remain with the team, and his sentiments on James Harden speak volumes.
The year has certainly been an odd one for Los Angeles, but it seems to now have taken yet another turn. The Bradley Beal injury after trading now-All-Star Norman Powell, combined with the Chris Paul debacle in the span of a month wasn’t great.
LA, at 23-26, currently sits in the #9 spot in the Western Conference. It will take a long winning streak to be able to emerge out of the play-in and into a very competitive top six in the West. Harden has never missed the playoffs in his career, and may prefer a top-six situation.
We’ll see what ultimately happens here. But the public trade request may certainly be something that could unravel the season for this team.