The Los Angeles Clippers made a big decision to trade James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland and a second-round pick.
Harden had been with the Clippers for parts of the last three seasons, but Los Angeles never made a deep run in the postseason. While the team envisioned a dynamic pair of Harden and Kawhi Leonard, this trade is an admission that it just didn't work.
Now, the Clippers face more questions about their future, especially when it comes to Kawhi Leonard. Here's three questions regarding where Los Angeles goes from here.
What does James Harden trade mean for Kawhi Leonard?
Leonard and Harden were both set to be free agents in 2027, so the Harden trade could have an impact on Leonard's future. The Clippers star is due $50 million this year and $50 million next year, closing out a three-year, $149.5 million that began in 2024.
Now that Harden is on his way out, the Clippers seem ready to at least look beyond this season, as Los Angeles' slow start dug a hole too deep to overcome. When the 2026-27 season begins, Leonard will be 35 years-old and on the backend of his career.
However, this doesn't necessarily mean that the Clippers will move on from Leonard as well. Darius Garland gives Los Angeles a young player who can help them win now, and the team saves money by moving off of Harden.
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Who else will the Clippers trade?
The Clippers largely built a two-year window, as Ivica Zubac, Yanic Konan Niederhäuser and Cam Christie were the only Clippers players under contract for the 2027-28 season. Now, Garland is added to the list as the second-most expensive player on the team.
Los Angeles basically admitted that they won't win in 2026, giving them a one-year window with this current roster of players. However, the Clippers are one of the oldest teams in the league, so Los Angeles could try to trade veterans like Brook Lopez and Nicolas Batum.
Some younger players who the Clippers could also trade are John Collins and Derrick Jones Jr. Collins specifically could be the next player on the move, as he is set to hit free agency at the end of the year.
The big fish that the Clippers could dangle is obviously Leonard, but that is a big decision that goes beyond the court. For now, the Harden trade seems like it could trigger a smaller sell-off for Los Angeles.
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What is Ty Lue's future?
Clippers coach Ty Lue is under contract through the 2028-29 season, so the likely scenario is that he remains with the team moving forward. So, unless Lue decides he doesn't want to stay for a smaller-scale rebuild, the veteran coach is not going anywhere.
Lue is the second-winningest coach in Clippers history, behind just Doc Rivers, and is the only coach to lead Los Angeles to the Western Conference Finals.