Losing for the 21st time in 27 games last night in Oklahoma City, the Clippers continue to sink. So several NBA teams are keeping an eye on Californian players – like James Harden – in view of the trade deadline, even if Los Angeles says they do not want to sell.
A few days ago, we highlighted the Clippers’ desire to keep the current group in an attempt to change the appearance of their season, which is catastrophic at the moment. But that doesn’t stop several teams from sniffing out certain files on the transfer market.
According to Marc Steinwhich cites a source from the Western Conference, James Harden is one of the Los Angeles players who are particularly monitored a month and a half before the trade deadline.
At 36 years old and still looking for his first trick, would Harden be ready to leave his hometown to join a TRUE candidate for the title? Not impossible if the Clippers continue to dig their own grave.
James Harden’s name has been circulating on the trade market, per @TheSteinLine
“One well-placed Western Conference observer shared this week that James Harden’s status going forward is being monitored closely by various teams given his career goals at age 36 and the Clippers’… pic.twitter.com/kzqsUlbpvl
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 18, 2025
James Harden is in the first year of a two-year, $81.5 million contract, with a player option on the second season. An ambitious team looking for an All-Star / All-NBA caliber playmaker could try to obtain the Bearded One, in order to take advantage of his last very productive years in the NBA.
This season, in the middle of the Clippers fiasco, Harden is one of the only ones to survive with 26 points and 8 assists on average. It was he who several times carried Los Angeles to snatch a few rare victories, at the same time entering the Top 10 of the best all-time scorers. If defensively things remain catastrophic, Ramesse could be a difference-maker in another team, even if he is not the easiest type of attacker to integrate in the middle of a season given his propensity to dominate the ball.
Among the teams potentially interested in Harden? Marc Stein cites Minnesota, looking for a veteran leader to take another step forward in the Playoffs.
