Harden restructured, Clippers-CP3 reunion?

(News4usOnline) – An All-NBA Third Team year for James Harden and borderline All-Star seasons from Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell allowed the Clippers to avoid any significant falloff after Paul George walked in free agency.

Including the playoffs, LA won the same number of games as the previous year and had a slightly higher winning percentage than during the five seasons George spent with the franchise.

The bigger storyline was the struggles of George’s new team in Philadelphia, as well as the incredible success of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who LA traded to Oklahoma City for George back in 2019.

Powell predicted it would be “addition by subtraction”, because “more guys get more opportunities.” He noted that “the media is writing them off without PG,” but his absence ended up being a neutral loss.

“The media likes to twist things and try to say that I’m taking jabs or shots at PG, but it was more just talking about my opportunity,” said Powell.

In an expanded role, Powell became one of three Clippers to average 20-plus points per game, scoring a career high 21.8 points a night.

With George now a 76er, it also allowed Harden to revert to being a “system” as he has called himself in the past. He made his first All-Star team since 2022, and first All-NBA team since leading the league in scoring as a member of the Rockets in 2020.

The 35-year-old Arizona State product declined his one-year player option and was rewarded with a two-year $81.5 million contract extension to stay in LA.

The extension essentially means the Clippers will be rolling with a core of Kawhi Leonard and Harden for the next two years, as Leonard’s contract will also expire following the 2027 season.

It also means LA has a little more room to work with when it comes to bringing in talent. They used a decent amount of their remaining cap space to sign Brook Lopez to a two-year deal, who will help in the size and shooting departments, but that leaves them with $7 million and two roster spots to work with.

Chris Paul has made it clear he wants to play closer to his family in Los Angeles, and it appears his list of preferred destinations is down to the Suns and the Clippers. If a reunion between the franchise and its former star point guard is in the works, it could make for a storybook ending to a Hall of Fame career for Paul.

Harden and Paul chasing a ring one last time together would be a exciting within itself, as neither have been able to add a championship to their all-time resumes, but it could also open the door for Paul’s number to be lifted into the rafters of the Intuit Dome almost immediately after he hangs it up, becoming the first player in franchise history to have his jersey retired.

Paul can still play. He finished seventh in the NBA in assists last season despite playing less than 30 minutes a night. He would make an aging team even older. Still, the amount of experience and basketball IQ in the Clippers’ locker room would be unmatched, and there are not many floor generals in the league that a team would rather have coming off the bench than the player with the second most assists in the history of the game.