As All-Star Weekend tips off in Los Angeles, the Clippers find themselves at the center of the NBA spotlight-not just because they're hosting the festivities, but because their trade deadline moves have raised eyebrows and stirred questions about the direction of the franchise.
Let’s start with the headline move: Los Angeles shipped out James Harden, the veteran playmaker who helped spark their midseason surge, in exchange for Darius Garland-a younger, more dynamic guard, but one with a concerning injury history. Garland is currently sidelined with a toe sprain and has no clear timetable for return. That’s not ideal when you’re trying to build chemistry on the fly.
The Clippers didn’t stop there. They also moved Ivica Zubac, their starting center and a steady defensive anchor, to bring in Bennedict Mathurin, an explosive wing scorer who’s started his Clippers tenure coming off the bench.
This is a team that had found its stride after a rocky start, climbing the standings with a balanced attack and a deep rotation. Now, with two of their most consistent contributors gone and Garland unavailable, there’s a sense of recalibration in the air. The Clippers got younger and arguably more athletic, but it came at the cost of stability and continuity.
Veteran forward Nicolas Batum acknowledged the adjustment ahead. “It’s not easy,” he said.
“Especially when you trade away big pieces. But the thing we got back is pretty huge as well.
You still gotta do your job, but it’s going to be an adjustment for sure.”
Head coach Ty Lue, however, isn’t backing off the team’s ambitions.
“Our expectations are still to win and win at a high level,” Lue said. “Come out and compete every single night and play hard. No matter who’s on the floor.”
That’s the right mindset, and with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George still leading the charge, the Clippers aren’t exactly starting from scratch. But integrating new pieces-especially when one of them isn’t even on the court yet-takes time. The post-break stretch will be telling.
Around the Pacific Division:
In Golden State, Kristaps Porzingis has yet to make his debut for the Warriors due to a mix of Achilles tendinitis and a recent illness. But there’s a bit of optimism from head coach Steve Kerr, who noted that Porzingis participated in half-court five-on-five action and looked sharper than he had the day before.
“Kristaps played today and was moving better than yesterday and seemed to be in a good rhythm,” Kerr said. Still, there’s no firm return date, with Kerr adding, “We’ll just see how it plays out.”
Meanwhile, it’s been a rough stretch for the Sacramento Kings. Wednesday’s 121-93 loss to the Jazz marked their 14th straight defeat, tying the longest losing streak in franchise history since the team moved to Sacramento in 1985. For head coach Doug Christie-a former Kings standout who helped lead the team during its early-2000s heyday-this skid hits hard.
“I’ve been here for the absolute best of the Sacramento Kings... and now you deal with this,” Christie said. “One thing I know is that adversity does not define you, but it clarifies some things about you... when you face that, you come together in brotherhood, you communicate, you compete at a high level, and we will be better for it in the long run.”
There was at least one silver lining: second-year guard Devin Carter put up a career-high 19 points in the loss, a bright spot in an otherwise tough night.
And in Phoenix, the Suns limp into the All-Star break having dropped three of their last four, including a lopsided 136-109 loss to the Thunder. But head coach Jordan Ott isn’t pushing the panic button.
“This is exciting,” Ott said of the team's current seventh-place standing. “What we’re playing for, the next 27 games, that’s exciting. You don’t want the result [of the loss], but if that doesn’t motivate you-and I know it will-so that part, we’re going to take this as a positive.”
The Suns have the talent to make a run, but they’ll need to find consistency fast. With the playoff race tightening, the margin for error is shrinking by the day.
Bottom line: The Pacific Division enters the All-Star break with more questions than answers. The Clippers are reshuffling, the Warriors are waiting on Porzingis, the Kings are searching for a lifeline, and the Suns are trying to stay afloat.
The second half of the season? It’s going to be a wild ride.