The Los Angeles Clippers’ 2025–26 offseason could make or break their championship window. Last season’s consistent late-series fatigue and unexpected blowouts exposed the cracks in a core built predominantly on star firepower, and their next moves will determine whether they can close the gap or fade at crunch time. So far, the front office has reshuffled the roster with a purpose.

After a breakout season, long-time wing scorer Norman Powell (21.8 PPG in 2024–25) was sent to the Miami Heat in a three-team deal. In return, the Clippers landed John Collins from the Utah Jazz, a forward whose spacing and explosive finishing combo was precisely what LA had lacked around their primary ball handlers. The team also locked in Brook Lopez on a two-year, low-cost deal, and Chris Paul is back on a veteran minimum. All signals point to a win-now mode, with Bradley Beal signed to a two-year, $11M deal. Midway through this focused gearing up, a silent surprise arrived.

A fan-filmed clip of James Harden during what appeared to be a casual summer moment.

The recording showed the veteran looking noticeably heavier than in past seasons, igniting immediate comparisons to Luka Dončić’s offseason struggles. The caption joked, “Harden switched bodies with Luka,” and brushed it off as humor. However, it has led to deeper concerns about the aging guard’s conditioning.

These concerns aren’t new: Harden has long faced scrutiny for fluctuating weight, missing structured summer training, and logging hefty minutes in his late 30s. During his heavily publicized divorce with the Houston Rockets in 2021, he looked so out of shape that conspiracy theorists claimed he wore a fat suit to get traded. In 2022, Harden jokingly claimed he’d shed “100 pounds” of offseason weight, but league-wide consensus remained skeptical. Even coaches reported signs of fatigue emerging during mid-series stretches. Any visual signal of decline matters for a franchise that expects elite-level efficiency all year.

Could Beal’s move hinge on Harden’s condition?

Fresh off a Phoenix buyout, Bradley Beal’s two-year, $11 million deal with the Clippers looked like savvy depth shopping, a low-risk scorer for a crowded backcourt. But with James Harden’s cryptic workout video hinting at uncertain readiness, Beal’s gig got heavier. What seemed like luxury insurance now feels like an urgent necessity.

The dominoes matter here. Trading Norman Powell, last season’s most consistent bucket-getter, for John Collins boosted the frontcourt but left a scoring hole in the backcourt. If Harden stumbles into camp rusty or unfit, L.A. might need Beal to shoulder real minutes sooner than planned, especially with Chris Paul’s workload already on a pitch count.

Then there’s Harden’s new two-year, $81.5 million deal (with a player option). That contract tethers serious cash to his performance. If Harden’s body betrays him, Beal is no longer a sparkplug off the bench. He’s the emergency generator for an offense running on fragile wiring.