The Los Angeles Clippers are backed into a corner.
Their first-round pick for the 2026 NBA Draft is owed to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Clippers, through Monday, are also 6-18.
Right now, OKC is shaping up to get a great pick. Can the Clippers somehow salvage things and make it less of a top pick?
Or, conversely, should the Clippers just fully lean into their own future? They don't have that pick in any scenario, so maybe the choice is to look inward.
ESPN's Shams Charania laid out those scenarios in a new article on Tuesday, and in it, he floats the idea of trading away James Harden and Kawhi Leonard.
"Instead of trying to win every game to prevent Oklahoma City from receiving a top-five pick, could the Clippers make a trade (or trades) to better position themselves for the next five years?" Charania writes. "Many in the league are waiting to see whether L.A. Is open to shifting to the bigger picture. Stars James Harden and Kawhi Leonard are performing at a high level and are signed to tradeable contracts that would allow the Clippers to retool for the future. They could also hold firm and reshape the team around Harden and Leonard, as they will have cap space in the summer."
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The trade market would take on an exciting shape in a hurry if Harden and Leonard were all of a sudden on the block.
Both are in the back half of their careers, so not every team would be interested. But most contenders would at the very least pick up the phone and inquire about what the cost might be.
Harden and Leonard still have all-world ability and would make almost any team better. The Clippers don't appear to be going anywhere with them, so maybe they should see what the future looks like without them.
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