Latest Clippers Report Should Put James Harden Trade Rumors to Rest

Despite the LA Clippers not being where they had hoped, James Harden isn't going anywhere, according to the latest reports.

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Clippers righted the ship over the last two weeks and are slowly climbing up the standings in the Western Conference. After having won five straight, the Clippers are now 11-21 for the season, with a decent chance of getting back into the postseason race. Yet, the team is nowhere near where they had hoped to be. Before the season, the Clippers were considered a title contender by many. Despite the recent surge, that seems like an unattainable goal.

Naturally, trade rumors surrounding the Clippers' stars began to emerge. Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac were all thought to be trade candidates before the February 5 deadline. While there is still plenty of time between now and the trade deadline, there is very little indication that the Clippers will be sellers. None of the three players has reportedly asked for a trade, either. In fact, The Athletic's Sam Amick reported on Wednesday that "there are no signs yet that Harden wants out."

The 36-year-old has complete control over his situation, as his Bird rights contract affords him the right to veto any trade this season (he has a player option worth $42.3 million for next season). Still, team and league sources say there are no signs yet that Harden wants out.

Sam Amick, The Athletic

Harden has never had a losing season or missed the playoffs in his career. Therefore, there was widespread speculation that he would want to leave for greener pastures where he could play more competitive basketball at the dawn of his career.

Fortunately for the Clippers, that doesn't seem to be the case. Now that the Clippers have turned their season around and are looking like a winning team, the odds of Harden wanting out will be even more unlikely.

What is a more likely scenario, instead, is the Clippers being buyers at the deadline. Steve Ballmer, Lawrence Frank, and Ty Lue seem aligned on the Clippers' vision, and there have been no signs of a pivot or a rebuild. Instead of making any blockbuster moves involving Harden, Leonard, or Zubac, the Clippers may choose to shuffle the rest of the roster to give this group a chance to make a run in the second half of the season.

Things in the NBA can obviously turn on a dime. The Clippers are still one James Harden or Kawhi Leonard ankle sprain away from complete disaster. Considering Harden's age and Leonard's injury proneness, this remains a serious risk. Until then, however, all signs are pointing towards Harden staying in LA and fighting to extend his playoff streak to 17 years.