Getty Derek Fisher opened up about the top attribute Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden would bring to the Los Angeles Clippers
Former NBA coach and five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher believes the top ability Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden would bring to the Los Angeles Clippers following a potential trade would be his availability.
Fisher attended Clayton and Ellen Kershaw’s 10th annual PingPong4Purpose event at Dodgers Stadium on July 27 and tried to put things in perspective from Clippers head coach Ty Lue’s point of view.
“Yeah, I mean I’m really sensitive Ty Lue’s situation there,” Fisher said (h/t All Clippers). “Like as a coach, I’m sure he wants to put a team of guys together that he feels like are gonna be available and that he can go out and coach and help him win, whether it would be a better fit or not – James has been more available than Kawhi and Paul, regardless of how you feel about James’ game.
“So to some degree, it may work better, even if when healthy Paul and Kawhi are clearly two of the best players, and top 10 players in the league. It’s a really tough call, but those are the calls that you get paid to make at that level. And, you know, Lawrence Frank does a great job there. I mean, they have a great group with the Clippers as well, so they’ll figure it out.”
Baron Davis: James Harden ‘Another Dimension’ for Clippers
Another former NBA point guard, Baron Davis, is high on the idea of Harden to the Clippers, but his excitement is on another level; mainly because Davis believes the Sixers star could take the current Los Angeles core to another level.
“Yeah I think that would be dope,” Davis said of a Harden-Clippers union to TMZ on July 29. “The Clippers need another playmaker, somebody who can get fouled, slow the game down. They already got Paul George, Kawhi, they operate at a high octane, Russ is back, so having James is just another dimension and another level to how they can be a bonafide contender.
“He’s went from back-to-back MVP, or candidate for MVP, to All-Star, and then being lead guard. And I think last year he had one of his best years as a point guard, showing people that he can just play point guard if you want him to. James is one of the most versatile offensive weapons that we’ve seen in a long time, and I think that he could fit in anywhere, especially the Clippers.”
When asked if Harden makes the Clippers a contender, Davis responded with an enthusiastic “yes.”
“Absolutely,” Davis prefaced before saying, “Nowadays, everybody’s got a chance, and I think the Clippers, for the last two or three years, they’ve had the talent, and adding somebody like James, having Russ there for a full year with his leadership, they have an opportunity just like anybody else.”
James Harden Not Valued in Trade Talks Like He Once Was
Harden is reportedly no longer seen as the kind of franchise-altering talent worthy of dictating trade terms like he once was according to Kyle Neubeck of the Philly Voice; who feels teams are being unserious in negotiations for The Beard.
“Even the Clippers, Harden’s preferred destination, have been fairly unserious about what they’re willing to give up in order to acquire him,” Neubeck prefaced in his July 28 mailbag before saying, “The prevailing sentiment seems to be that Harden is still valued, but on the team’s terms, which is a shift from the franchise-defining clout Harden had at his peak.”
As for the rest of the Clippers’ offseason to-do list, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk reports there is no urgency from Los Angeles’ front office to extend Paul George or Kawhi Leonard when he’s eligible in September.
“I hear it’s kind of quiet right now,” Youngmisuk prefaced before saying, “There is no rush on an extension for Kawhi Leonard, and then Paul George will be eligible in September.”