Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Jeff Smith

Longtime Announcer Wary of James Harden Trade, Guard’s Fit With Clippers

James Harden’s desire to land with the Clippers following his trade request to the 76ers was widely known, but how the new fit will work out is an entirely different topic. Longtime broadcaster Ian Eagle is up in the air about the trade as a whole, and how Harden fits with his new team.

"When James does go from team to team, he is engaged, at least out of the gate. He wants to show everyone that he's still the same guy. He does the kind of things that you look for in being a facilitator and being a good teammate," Eagle said on SiriusXM NBA Radio. "... Ultimately if my memory serves, it was when Kevin Durant went down with an injury that James Harden said 'Hey I'm done, I'm out. I didn't sign up for this, I don't really like what the plan is' .... and then he checked out.

"...Ultimately, I think a team recognizes, 'Okay, we're past the point of no return, there's no convincing him, he is done.' And Philly got to that place ... Will it be good initially [with the Clippers]? I think it could be, I really do. But when the smoke clears, I don't know what this is gonna look like for L.A.," Eagle said.

While Eagle referenced back to Harden's messy stint with the Nets, it is worth noting that Harden had successful stretches with both the Thunder and of course the Rockets. Harden appears to have a good relationship with multiple Clippers players as well, so that could be a major positive in favor of his overall outlook with the franchise.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.