2 Winners & 2 Losers from Clippers' Trade Deadline

The Los Angeles Clippers had an eventful trade deadline. Instead of the quiet week that many were expecting, the Clippers radically changed course, moving on from James Harden and Ivica Zubac. They haven't entirely torn it all down as Kawhi Leonard remains the last man standing, but they have severely lowered their chances of making noise in the postseason. With a drastically new outlook for the rest of the season and the future in LA, who won the trade deadline, and who came out as losers?

Winner: James Harden

Harden always finds a way to get himself to a team where he can get paid and compete for a title. For the fourth time in his career, the 36-year-old guard seemingly identified the team he wanted to play for and got himself traded there. Not only do the Cleveland Cavaliers give Harden a better chance to win his first title than the Clippers, but they are also more likely to give him a contract extension in the offseason.

By all accounts, Harden was happy in Los Angeles. Yet, he was unlikely to get the long-term extension he was looking for after the Clippers only gave him short-term deals in the past two offseasons. Harden wanted to secure more guaranteed money and got his wish. Once he inevitably puts pen to paper for a new deal in Cleveland, Clippers fans will understand better why Harden came out of the deadline as a winner.

Winner: Ben Mathurin

The Pacers were never going to re-sign Mathurin. They avoid paying the luxury tax like the plague, and Mathurin was going to make them too expensive with Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam on the books. So, Mathurin was a serious flight when he became a restricted free agent in the summer.

Instead of losing him for nothing, the Pacers moved him to the Clippers in the Zubac trade. LA has more cap space and future financial flexibility. They are also significantly more willing to pay the luxury tax, opening up a ton of opportunities for Mathurin. The Clippers need more young players with upside, and Mathurin is a talented scorer in a position of need. He could be a long-term starter at shooting guard for the Clippers and has increased his chances of securing a lucrative, multi-year deal.

Loser: Kawhi Leonard

The Clippers have effectively admitted to themselves that they are not title contenders. Trading James Harden and Ivica Zubac in the midst of a 17-5 run suggests that the front office didn't really believe in this team as a serious threat in the Western Conference. This means that LA's hopes of making a deep postseason run with Kawhi Leonard in a Clippers uniform are over.

That has to be a big blow for Leonard, who has hitched his wagon to the Clippers over the years. Very few organizations and stars are as attached to the hip as Leonard and the Clippers. Considering the ongoing Aspiration and cap circumvention investigation conducted by the league, both sides are seemingly stuck with each other, even if both may be better off without the other.

Leonard has lost his running mates over the years: first, Paul George, then Harden, and Zubac. He must be feeling like his time in LA is coming to an end, despite desperately wanting to stay.

Loser: Chris Paul

Paul was finally traded by the Clippers, but the question of where he is going to finish his career remains unanswered. Even though LA traded him to the Toronto Raptors, Paul will not be reporting to his new team. The Raptors are expected to cut him and let him sign elsewhere.

The problem is, there doesn't seem to be much interest in the Point God. The Clippers were clearly willing to trade Paul to whichever team wanted him without requiring any assets in return. The only reason the Raptors wanted him was to offload Ochai Agbaji's contract and get cheaper. Toronto presumably looked for deals to reroute Paul to another team, but nothing materialized so far.

This puts Paul's retirement plans in jeopardy. If there is no interest in the 40-year-old point guard from a team he wants to play for, this may be it for Paul, which would be a disappointing ending to an incredible career.

Read More About the LA Clippers:

• 3 Clippers on Thin Ice Despite Surviving Trade Deadline
• Projecting the Clippers' Starting Lineup & Depth Chart After Trade Deadline
• Clippers' Ivica Zubac Trade Is a Big Mistake
• Kawhi Leonard Is On Borrowed Time With Clippers After Ivica Zubac Trade