James Harden's Latest Trade Demand Isn't About Basketball | Defector

"The language is more couched than that -per Shams Charania's latest runic dispatch, "Both sides are aligned in conversations together and with interested teams"-though as always any such reporting will take the form of what an agent demands, and also, the Clippers have no other reason to suddenly start shopping their 36-year-old point guard around. Harden has two plausible reasons to try to get out before Friday's trade deadline, neither of which have anything to do with wanting to win a championship."

"Even among recent, strange Clippers seasons, this has been a particularly weird one. The story of the NBA offseason was owner Steve Ballmer's alleged under-the-table payments to Kawhi Leonard via a baroque greenwashing scam, an issue that is still not resolved and which obviously hangs over the franchise's head. The team retooled its bench around a bunch of old guys, all of whom started the season playing clunky, slow basketball."

"Leonard has maybe been the best player in basketball for a month. The Clippers have gone 17-5 in their last 22 games and even re-signed GM Lawrence Frank, which is certainly, uh, notable given his involvement in signing Leonard to the deal currently under mega investigation. As the bottom of the west has fallen out, they are all but certain to at least qualify for the play-in."

James Harden has demanded a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers, adding to previous demands from Houston, Brooklyn, and Philadelphia. "Both sides are aligned in conversations together and with interested teams." The Clippers have little incentive to shop their 36-year-old guard. Harden has two plausible reasons to pursue an exit before the trade deadline, neither centered on championship pursuit. The Clippers have endured an unusually chaotic season: alleged owner payments to Kawhi Leonard, a bench rebuilt with aging players, a public conflict that led to Chris Paul's departure, a midseason 6-21 collapse and a dramatic turnaround toward play-in contention.

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