Three months ago, a playoff push for the Los Angeles Clippers was just wishful thinking. They were 6-21 and on their way to becoming one of the biggest disappointments of the season.

James Harden expressed thanks for his two-and-a-half seasons spent with the Los Angeles Clippers, stating he did not request a trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 11-time All-Star was shipped to the Cavaliers at the NBA trade deadline in exchange for Darius Garland and a future second-round pick.

James Harden was traded because the Clippers didn’t think they’d keep winning so much.

The Harden trade was a mutual recognition as much as an admission -- that the 11-time All-Star had a better chance to win elsewhere, and a tumultuous era in LA was effectively over.

Plus the NFC mounted a big comeback in the 2026 Pro Bowl Games

Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey doesn't seem too worried about any of the moves his Eastern Conference competitors made ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline, including the Cleveland Cavaliers acquiring James Harden.

The deadline delivered one of its loudest jolts on Feb. 4, when the Cavaliers landed James Harden from the Clippers in a swap that sent Darius Garland west. In Cleveland, his usage was capped by another alpha guard.

After the NBA trade deadline, James Harden and Jaren Jackson Jr. are fantasy fallers, with roster changes reducing their overall production.