Lakers fans should be upset as Clippers change mind on awful move

The Los Angeles Lakers-Los Angeles Clippers rivalry has heated up in recent years. For most of the franchise’s history, the Clippers were not viewed as competition for the purple and gold. Once the team finally arrived during the Lob City era, the Lakers were in a rebuild.

That has changed in recent years as the purple and gold started the era with LeBron James and Anthony Davis at the same time that the Clippers brought in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers have dominated the regular-season matchup but the purple and gold have actually won an NBA Championship.

Both teams are entering the end of the title window that was created in the summer of 2019. One team (the Lakers) has brought back the same core from last season that made the Western Conference Finals and has a legitimate chance of making the NBA Finals. The other team (the Clippers) does not even know if either star player will be playing when the games matter in May.

The hope for Lakers fans is that the Clippers realize this and take an unwise risk that ends up setting the team backward. It appeared that Steve Ballmer’s team was well on its way to doing so by trading for James Harden. However, it now appears that a disastrous Harden trade is off the table, per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (h/t Hoops Hype).

"“The Clippers tried to trade for James Harden, and that deal didn’t happen. And from what I understand, it was the Clippers who said, ‘Okay, there’s no deal here. We’re gonna move on.’ And while I assume that they could certainly make a deal midseason, I assume that this is what they’re gonna go with.”"

Clippers won’t make a James Harden trade, unfortunately for Lakers fans

Typically, the last thing that a team like the Lakers would want would be for the same-city rivals to trade for one of the biggest names in the sport. But Harden is past his prime and Lakers fans know exactly what would have happened if the Clippers had made this move.

Harden would come to LA, would get a hefty contract extension and would have moments in which it looked like it was worth it. However, Harden would continue to prove (as he has in Philly) that he is past his prime and is a legitimate defensive liability. The good moments for Harden will be heavily outweighed by his bad moments.

It would be the Russell Westbrook trade all over again but this time for LA’s other NBA team. The media hype would have been incredible but the end result would have been inevitable. Just like every other Harden team that doesn’t have playoff success, the Clippers would have crashed and burned.

And it would have been great theater for Lakers fans.