This year, the Los Angeles Clippers haven’t been able to catch a break with their players dominating the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Kwahi Leonard’s ‘no-show’ contract or the unceremonious exit of the franchise legend Chris Paul. Now, add it to the James Harden trade drama that too mere days away from the headline. Head coach Ty Lue, in the postgame interview, wasn’t the biggest fan of the trade rumor questions.

For the first time this season, James Harden missed two games in a row. After being out against the Suns, the 36-year-old also missed the clash against the 76ers due to “personal reasons.” But NBA insider Chris Mannix dropped a bombshell report of the Clippers being in advanced discussions to exchange All-Star-level guards, Harden for Cavs point guard Darius Garland. Lue’s answer regarding the trade was concise.

Answering three back-to-back questions, the head coach denied speaking about the rumors. Then explained what it meant for the franchise to have 11x All-Star James Harden.

“I can’t comment on rumors. Sorry,” Lue said in his post-game presser. “He means a lot. Yeah, he means a lot to our team, and we’ve seen it the last three years. So, he means a lot. Who wouldn’t want to have James Harden?”

The Clippers’ head coach is not dumping gas on the fire of James Harden trade rumors that have come to define their Monday night. Lue has expertly managed through the drama this season. They have surged towards a play-in tournament spot after a rough 6-21 start, to 17-5 since the Christmas game. Before the trade news, Lue had previously predicted a ‘quiet deadline’ for the team.

But the James Harden request has even made the head coach’s prediction wrong. Now, Lue could only offer ” I’m not sure” regarding his expectations from the trade deadline on Thursday.

Why does James Harden want a trade away from the Clippers?

While Lue shut down questions regarding Harden’s potential exit, this remains a strong reality. The 36-year-old has brilliantly putting up 25.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per night for the 2025-26 season. In fact, according to Cleaning the Glass, Harden’s ranking is in the 98th percentile in offensive impact, with LA’s offense nearly 12 points better per 100 possessions with him on the floor.

The trade request is not about performance but financials.

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“James Harden wanted a two-year, $80 million extension from the Clippers, but they weren’t interested in giving it to him,” according to Tomer Azarly. The franchise is prioritizing its cap space heading into the summer of 2027 and was not willing to give players deals beyond the 2026-27 season. Harden wanted guranteed two years deal, but the Clippers had their plans.

Interestingly, Harden holds an implicit no-trade clause after returning to the Clippers last offseason on a short-term deal, which means any trade involving him needs his approval. Also, Cleveland’s interest was apparently since December and ready to commit to the 2017-18 MVP. So, while the head coach doesn’t want to believe in rumors now, behind the scenes, things are progressing at a faster rate.