LA Clippers: 3 Reasons LA is mishandling the James Harden trade situation

The LA Clippers may be mishandling the James Harden trade situation. 

A week before the start of the 2023-24 NBA regular season, the clock is ticking for both the LA Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers. It’s been nearly four months since James Harden demanded a trade to the Clippers and it doesn’t appear that either side is close to making a deal. The Clippers have made offers but the Sixers continue to hold out for more assets.

Both sides appear to be holding firm and it’s either going to take one team to fold or for a dark horse to enter the negotiating table to either push the Clippers to up their offer to complete the deal or they’re going to steal Harden from LA’s hands outright.

Are the LA Clippers playing a risky game of chicken?

Either way, it’s easy to see how this could be a risky game the Clippers are playing. We saw how that ended up backfiring on the Miami Heat in the Damian Lillard situation. The big question for the Clippers is whether that could seemingly happen to them to when it comes to Harden.

Of course, that will depend on whether or not there’s any market for Harden outside of LA. At the moment there doesn’t appear to be, but that’s also what was said of Lillard just before he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Are the Clippers completely mishandling this trade situation? Let’s explore three reasons why that may be the case.