The LA Clippers and James Harden negotiated a divorce at the trade deadline because he wasn’t wanted long-term. Why is that so? Well, long story short, Harden has a history of playoff failures, and if you pair that with his age of 36, it didn’t make any sense for the Clippers to make a serious commitment they cannot take back in the future.
For some reason, though, the Cleveland Cavaliers never saw the Clippers’ reasoning. So, they took a swing at the Harden experience, yet after his game four stinker of 19 points and seven turnovers on 6-14 shooting, and the loss, their front office has no option but to be on the same page as Lawrence Frank.
Luckily for the Clippers, Harden is out of their hands and not their problem. This is as good a turnout as fans could ask for, especially because a soon-to-be superstar like Darius Garland was the return.
James Harden wasn’t someone the Clippers could keep long-term
The rationale most resort to when comprehending the reality that the LA Clippers did not want James Harden in their future is his age. This is the common assumption, and to a certain degree, it’s right.
The Clippers’ front office would be questioned from top to bottom if they caved to Harden’s high financial demands at the age of 36.
However, that’s not the entire story; Harden sold himself short when he failed to deliver for the Clippers against the Denver Nuggets, and quite frankly, no front office in the league is paying the big bucks for an extensive period of time to a regular-season superstar.
In fact, Harden had two games under 12 points in a series that went down to the wire. That’s simply unacceptable, and it explains where the Clippers were coming from the following offseason, as he was signed to just a two-year deal with no real obligation.
Surely if he were the same age, but could consistently come through on a stage as big as the postseason, LA would have had no problem keeping him around; that’s the type of guy you want next to a playoff riser like Kawhi Leonard.
Unfortunately, that’s not Harden, and the Clippers accepted that.
Now, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a massive offseason question: do they set aside Harden’s recent struggles and feed into his desires? Or face the loss and allow him to walk away, knowing they won’t hear the end of it for trading away Darius Garland?