James Harden and Kawhi Leonard
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Kawhi Leonard took a parting shot at James Harden after he was traded from the Clippers to the Cavaliers
The Los Angeles Clippers‘ roller-coaster ride of a campaign has taken another turn, thanks to a sudden trade that sent James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite helping the Clippers overcome their horrific start to the season, Harden believed he had a better shot at winning a title with the Cavs, which led to this trade taking place. As a result, that has left his former partner-in-crime, Kawhi Leonard, in Los Angeles by himself.
At one point in time, the Clippers believed they had a superstar trio in Leonard, Harden, and Paul George that would lead them to a championship. Instead, Leonard is the last man standing, and Los Angeles has nothing to show for from this group. Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t seem like Leonard is thrilled to see Harden leave, as he took a parting shot at him in the wake of his latest trade.
Kawhi Leonard Doesn’t Hold Back on James Harden Trade
Joey Linn
Kawhi Leonard on being the last player left from the trio of himself, Paul George, and James Harden:
“It’s the NBA. We know why these guys left. I wish them the best of luck. Tried to help him stay, but business calls.”
Said he wanted to give it another run with that group, but
After spending nine years with the Houston Rockets, Harden has become one of the most wishy-washy players in the league. He’s now attempted to form superteams three times since departing the Rockets, but each attempt has ended the same way. Harden forced his way off the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers previously, and while his split with the Clippers seemed a bit more amicable, it has continued an alarming trend surrounding the legendary guard.
Leonard now finds himself left picking up the pieces of Harden’s departure. While he will be joined by another All-Star-caliber guard in Darius Garland, who was the main piece coming back to L.A. in this trade, Harden and Leonard appeared to have a good thing going. Now. Leonard will have to adjust to the new situation he finds himself in.
It’s certainly not an ideal situation, and it’s fair to wonder if it was avoidable. Leonard, for his part, doesn’t seem thrilled to see Harden leaving, as he took some shots at his former teammate when speaking on this trade, while also revealing he did what he could to try to convince him to stay in town.
“It’s the NBA. We know why these guys left,” Leonard bluntly said after the Clippers’ loss to the Cavs on Wednesday night. “I wish them the best of luck. Tried to help him stay, but business calls … It’s over. Guys are gone.”
What’s Next for Clippers After James Harden Trade?
James Harden
GettyJames Harden was recently traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
While this is obviously a very impactful deal, it feels like the Clippers still have some business to wrap up before the trade deadline strikes on Thursday afternoon. Star center Ivica Zubac has continued to see his name pop up in trade rumors, and if he were to end up being on the move as well, that would make life even more difficult for Leonard.
Garland should help Leonard out in the immediate future, but it feels like the ceiling for Los Angeles has been lowered significantly for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign. Beyond that, the front office now has to figure out what it wants to do with Leonard once this season wraps up. There were a lot of questions surrounding the Clippers’ future to begin with, but the Harden trade is going to force the team to answer those questions sooner than they would have liked to.