Stephen A. Smith reveals why James Harden leaving the Clippers isn't 'a mistake'

Trade deadline week is here, and things tend to get strange in a hurry around the NBA. Deals happen late, phones stay busy and pretty much anything can go down ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline. Last year around this time, Luka Doncic got moved in the middle of the night to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Most of the noise this week has been about Giannis Antetokounmpo, but a different name popped up Tuesday: James Harden. Harden reportedly has requested a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers, who weren't looking to move him. 

On Wednesday, the Clippers granted Harden his wish and traded him in a blockbuster deal. Harden wanting out reportedly caught the front office by surprise. 

Ahead of the trade, Stephen A. Smith laid it out on ESPN's "First Take," explaining why a Harden trade is the right move.

"It would not be a mistake," Smith said. "When James Harden wants out, you let him leave. Because he's shown you what he's gonna be like when he wants to leave, and you make him stay. We've seen it. Okay? And so, you don't want that problem. When that brother wants out, you get him up out of there."