The Los Angeles Clippers' 2025-26 campaign has been nightmare-ish from the outset.
Their horrid 6-18 record through 24 games and recent shocking dismissal of 12-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul have given other prospective trade suitors a reason to check in on the availability of their superstar duo of 2018 MVP James Harden and 2-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.
Though the two aging stars appear to be suitable trade candidates for a reeling Clippers organization, The Athletic's Sam Amick recently echoed a different sentiment during a Tuesday morning appearance on FanDuel TV's Run It Back.
"I mean, there should be a world (where Harden and Leonard are dealt)," Amick told nine-year NBA veteran Chandler Parsons on Tuesday.
"One hundred percent there should be. I don't see it because, you know, (Clippers owner) Steve Ballmer's got this inexplicable, and, in my opinion, borderline insane addiction to this group."
"They keep rocking with this group knowing that all of their contracts are coming up in a couple of years, and they've been looking at the summer of 2027 for quite some time."
"I don't see them blowing it up. I see them trying to continue to do stuff around the edges and pull this thing out."
At a time when the Clippers have already dug themselves a massive hole and could choose to take full advantage of Harden increasing his trade value with a signature season, their front office looks to be continuing their fight for relevance in a stacked Western Conference.
In 23 appearances for the Clippers, the 36-year-old offensive engine has contributed 26.8 points, 8.3 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals, proving to be the only bright spot for an otherwise despondent group.
As for Leonard, the 14-year veteran has shown flashes of returning to form when healthy, as he's averaged a cool 25.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals on a solid 61.4% true shooting percentage in 14 games this year.
Instead of dealing the pair of future Hall of Famers to net valuable prospects and draft capital, Ballmer and the Clippers' higher-ups will elect to play things out and hope for a historic turnaround, a lofty goal for one of the NBA's worst teams through the first sizable portion of the season.
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