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Bill Simmons suggests trading two stars as LA Clippers stumble to 7–21 start, not Kawhi

Originally posted on HITC | By Aaditya Krishnamurthy | Last updated Dec 22, 2025 9:28 AM ET

According to Bill Simmons, the Clippers must trade two of their most important players, excluding Kawhi Leonard, to successfully turn their season around.

Even after beating the Lakers at home, Clippers fans are still not convinced things are heading in the right direction.

They are still near the bottom of the West, sitting 13th with a 7-21 record. What was supposed to be a big year for them has quickly fallen apart.

James Harden has voiced his frustration more than once this season. He has been their top performer, but this has not translated into much success on the court.

With growing calls for a rebuild, attention is turning to which players might be moved if they decide to make big changes.

Bill Simmons says LA Clippers should trade Ivica Zubac and James Harden

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During a recent episode of his podcast, Bill Simmons discussed the Clippers’ struggles and said there is not an obvious solution. Even so, he did suggest one possible path forward.

Simmons floated the idea that moving Ivica Zubac along with James Harden could be a way to shake things up, though he pointed out that it would only work if another team got desperate enough to bite.

“If somebody has a fix out there? God bless you. But I think it has to be using Zubac and attaching him to Harden, and seeing what you can get,” he began by saying.

“Could Minnesota go in a tailspin and all of a sudden be thinking about Gobert and Randle for Harden and Zubac?

“They’re not doing that now, but maybe in two weeks, if they lose some games, they start thinking about it. That’s the only hope. Other teams get desperate and start looking at your assets. Yikes.”

Ivica Zubac and James Harden have become Clippers’ most valuable trade assets

Right now, the only players the LA Clippers could realistically move for any real return are James Harden and Ivica Zubac.

Kawhi Leonard, for all his talent, has not stayed healthy enough to be a game-changer for another team this season. So he does not have much value on the market at the moment.

The smarter play might be to shop around Harden and Zubac in exchange for future picks and expiring contracts. That way, they could use the remaining years of Leonard’s deal as a bridge to a proper rebuild in 2027.

It is not clear how they get back on track from here. But moving their best pieces might be the only way forward if they want to start over.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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