James Harden in focus, for whichever team, when Cavs visit Clippers
There could be familiar faces in different places when the Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday at Inglewood, Calif.
Multiple reports on Tuesday had the Clippers sending 11-time All-Star guard James Harden to the Cavaliers for two-time All-Star guard Darius Garland and a second-round draft pick.
Harden, 36, has not played in either of the Clippers' past two games, with his official designation listed as "personal." If the trade is made in time, he presumably could take the court against his former team Wednesday.
Garland, 26, has missed the Cavaliers past nine games with a toe sprain, leaving his potential availability in doubt.
While Cleveland will enter the game following a 130-111 victory at Portland on Sunday, Los Angeles will try to bounce back following a 128-113 loss to the visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.
Despite the loss, Los Angeles is still 17-5 since Dec. 20 and 1-1 without Harden the past two games. Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points in the loss but was held to 0-of-5 shooting in the opening quarter when the 76ers raced to an early double-digit lead and never relented.
Leonard, who was named an All-Star for the seventh time in his career Tuesday, was double-teamed as soon as he touched the ball in the early going against the 76ers, and no teammate emerged as an alternate scoring threat.
"I'm not necessarily sure ... it's more than one thing," Clippers forward John Collins said when asked what went wrong. "Offensive execution. They were making a lot of tough shots. Second night of a back-to-back. I mean those are all excuses. Just got to step up and play better."
Jordan Miller scored 21 points, rookie Kobe Sanders had 17 and Collins added 15 for the Clippers, who lost despite shooting 59.0% from the floor. Their typically strong defense saw the 76ers go 17 of 39 (43.6%) from 3-point range.
The Cavaliers received a career-high 40 points and also 17 rebounds from center Jarrett Allen in Sunday's win over the Trail Blazers. Sam Merrill scored 22 points and Jaylon Tyson added 18 as Cleveland won going away on a below-average night from star Donovan Mitchell (14 points).
The Cavaliers did make a trade Saturday, acquiring guards Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder from the Sacramento Kings for forward De'Andre Hunter in a three-team deal that included the Chicago Bulls.
"I'm excited to be on a winning team," the defensive-minded Ellis said Tuesday. "(The Cavaliers) are a great team with some good pieces. I'm playing hard every night and being a great teammate. I feel like I just play winning basketball night in and night out."
The Cavaliers have won six of their past seven games, with their only loss in the stretch at Phoenix on Friday. The Clippers won at Phoenix on Sunday but stumbled one day later.
If a Harden-Garland deal is not made by the time the teams meet Wednesday, there will be less than 24 hours to make roster adjustments via trade before Thursday afternoon's league deadline.
Clippers players do not want to see Harden depart, but they have no hard feelings over his reported request for a trade.
"It was a surprise," Leonard said of the trade rumor, which surfaced while the Clippers were playing the 76ers. "... I respect his decision, or whoever's decision it is. He's still going to be my boy, and I trust the front office."