James Harden trade request forced Clippers into teardown

The Clippers got a big return in a tough position

While the Clippers got definitively worse in the short term, this week's trades have given them optimism for the future. In Mathurin, they got the No. 6 pick from the 2022 draft who has shown flashes of star potential with the Pacers. He's a restricted free agent this summer, which gives the Clippers plenty of leverage for a contract negotiation or a sign-and-trade.

They also got Darius Garland, who has made two All-Star teams. He has struggled with toe injuries for the last two seasons and may be a poor fit next to a small guard like Donovan Mitchell, but he's an elite shooter.

But the real prize for the Clippers is rebuilding their dwindling store of draft picks, with a literal "lottery ticket" — a 47.1 percent chance that the Pacers' pick falls between 5-9 after the draft lottery.

Losing Zubac is a huge blow. A strong defensive center who shoots over 60 percent and averages a double-double and rarely misses games is a huge bargain at around $20M per season. But he has much more value for a team trying to contend than on a Clippers team mired in mediocrity.

This wasn't how the Clippers imagined their 2025-26 season would go, especially since they're hosting the All-Star Game Feb. 15. They may not have imagined this even a week ago. But once Harden forced their hands, they pivoted to a rebuild as well as they could, dismantling the core of a contender that never quite contended.