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A fresh blockbuster idea is making the rounds, and it has James Harden landing with the Timberwolves while the Clippers hit the reset button.
Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale cooked up a four-team proposal featuring the Clippers, Wolves, Suns and Nets. Here’s the framework:
Clippers get
• Jalen Green
• Bones Hyland
Timberwolves get
• James Harden
• Haywood Highsmith
Nets get
• Mike Conley
• Leonard Miller
• 2026 second (second-most favorable of Dallas, OKC, Philly via Phoenix)
• 2026 second (Memphis, protected 43 to 60 via Clippers)
• 2027 second (Cleveland via Minnesota)
Suns get
• Julius Randle
The idea is simple. The Clippers are a mess at 5-16 and Harden’s monster production hasn’t moved the needle. Favale argues it is time to break the thing apart.
Minnesota would be the headline play. Pairing Harden with Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels would give the Wolves a true offensive organizer after back-to-back conference finals trips.
“Harden provides more relief for Edwards than Randle,” Favale wrote. “The Wolves are getting older but upgrading their playmaking.”
Harden is making $39.2 million this season with a $42.3 million player option for next year. He is averaging 26.9 points and 8.4 assists and shooting 90.6 percent at the line.
The Clippers do not own their first-round pick, which makes tanking a pointless exercise. But if the losing piles up, the veteran guard could look to move again.
As noted by Ashish Mathur of Dallas Hoops Journal, Harden has already asked out of Houston, Brooklyn and Philadelphia. Will L.A. be next?
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