Kawhi Leonard’s current stance on the Los Angeles Clippers trading for James Harden has been the subject of much debate.
Earlier this month, Harden made headlines when he came out and called Philadelphia 76ers team president, Daryl Morey, a liar. He then claimed that he wouldn’t play for his current team anymore.
L.A. was the team most closely linked to a possible move for Harden, though conversations cooled when the Clippers refused to part with two key role players in any potential deal.
This week, clarity emerged on what Leonard’s current stance regarding Harden is.
“What I’ve heard is that, hey, James has been in conversation with Paul [George] and Kawhi, and they’re all kind of on the same page,” Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports reported.
Goodwill also offered some clarity on what sort of role Harden would have with Los Angeles, should a deal actually materialize.
“Long reliever where he’s going to eat up innings, he going to eat up games, he’s going to eat up usage while you can nurse Kawhi and Paul and hopefully get them to April where hopefully they’ll be healthy,” he said.
“And you can sort of power James down a little bit and turn this thing over to the two playoff players.”
On paper, this would certainly make sense. That said – neither side seems particularly motivated to force a trade right now.
As far as the Sixers are concerned, they have made their asking price for Harden clear. And as things presently stand, they have three options that extend beyond the Clippers if they want to take less in a trade.
What a week for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. https://t.co/1NjHvjf0bT
— Game 7 (@game7__) August 29, 2023
For L.A., Harden is more of a “want” than a “need.” The front office already seems to have a Plan B in place in the event that Harden doesn’t end up coming to town.
One way or another, it feels like Harden is destined to eventually leave Philly.
Will Leonard and George ultimately get their wish to see Harden on the Clippers? Time will tell.
Related: Brittany Renner Performs Racy Dance On Podcast (Video)
Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
