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A lot is at stake with the Los Angeles Clippers in the summer. Two of their stars, James Harden and Paul George, can walk in free agency this offseason. The Clippers can’t replace them if they leave without being traded. Also, they are moving into a new arena next season and owe their next four first-round picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder. It is paramount to re-sign George and Harden and not allow them, James Harden in particular, to leave in free agency for teams like the Orlando Magic or Detroit Pistons.
Another season rife with injuries and another early playoff flameout could lead to changes. Maybe George or Harden start to wonder if LA is the right place for them to win. Ownership and the front office may decide it’s time to start over and recoup some young players and draft picks. Most likely, they’ll want to run it back. But changes could happen one way or another. It’s why the Clippers are a team to watch and Harden is a candidate to switch teams (again) this offseason.
Orlando Magic
A fun outcome for James Harden in free agency would be signing with the Magic. The Magic don’t have max cap space at the moment, something Harden will surely want. They currently have $25 million in room but could free up $17 million more if they decide to waive Jonathan Isaac. That doesn’t seem likely after his bounce-back season, however.
But the Magic need perimeter creation on offense in the worst way possible. They finished 22nd in offensive rating (112.9) in the NBA during the regular season. That’s par for the course with Orlando. They haven’t ranked above 20th in offensive rating in a season since 2012.
That would change with Harden in tow.
While he isn’t the game-breaking dynamo he was with the Houston Rockets, he can still spearhead a stellar offensive attack. The Clippers were fourth in offensive rating in the regular season. Harden’s playmaking opened up easy shots for George and Kawhi Leonard that weren’t available to them prior to his arrival from Philadelphia.
James Harden had 10 assists tonight. Here's 4 of them. The first two are interesting from the perspective that the Clippers have started to find something with Harden at the elbow and cross screens and back cuts off of it. The final two are probably his best passes of the night. pic.twitter.com/VTPqAJizqU
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) November 21, 2023
Orlando had only one guard to register a usage rate above 20% in the regular season. That was Cole Anthony, who had an effective field goal percentage of 49.6% in the regular season and 34.1% in the playoffs. Orlando’s defense can cover for Harden’s shortcomings on that end of the floor, but they really need his offensive punch. A two-year $50 million or three-year $75 million deal could make sense for both sides.
Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are nowhere near playoff contention at the moment, but they have to find some way to get out of the bottom of the league’s standings. They lost 28 games in a row this season and finished with the worst record in the NBA for the second consecutive year. Something has to change.
Why not throw a lot of money at James Harden in free agency? The Rockets nearly did that a year ago, but gave that bag to Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks instead. Those veterans, along with Jeff Green, helped guide the Rockets to a 41-win season a year after winning only 22 games the season prior.
The Pistons and their fans would kill for a 41-win campaign next year.
It isn’t as if they are bereft of talent either. Cade Cunningham is a burgeoning star with superstar potential. Jalen Duren is a two-way wrecking ball in the middle. Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson have had their moments, and Detroit has another top-five pick to add to this core.
These young guys need some veteran guidance on how to compete and win. Harden can help bring that. It may not seem like an ideal fit given where Harden is at with his career and the Pistons are as a franchise. But sometimes, money is enough, and the Pistons have the most to spend in the league.
Perhaps that and a desperation to put a more competitive product on the floor can be enough to make this pairing a reality.
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