Over the past few months, the hope that the OKC Thunder could land a high-end lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft has started to slip away.
The once cellar-dwelling LA Clippers, whose unprotected first-round rights are owned by Sam Presti and company, have recently caught steam, going 17-5 over their last 22 outings, and are steadily climbing up the Western Conference standings toward a potential playoff berth.
However, early this week, said hope may have officially been restored, if just ever so slightly, for NBA insider Chris Hayes revealed on Tuesday that Los Angeles and the Cleveland Cavaliers have been in deep discussions on a potential James Harden for Darius Garland trade package, and that both sides are looking to get a deal done "relatively soon."
Though on the surface, this idea seems to be a simple swapping of All-Star guards, when digging a bit deeper, it's hard to ignore the fact that the execution of such a trade could better the odds of LA's implosion and Oklahoma City's claim to a top-flight lottery pick this June.
Darius Garland's baggage should excite Thunder over LAC's lottery odds
In the event that Garland heads to the Clippers, fans and many pundits may try to stick to the positive takeaways, which are that they'd be receiving a 26-year-old, multi-time All-Star point guard who can score at will and has a knack for play-making.
Of course, this only tells one side of the story.
Garland is undoubtedly a quality talent when he's healthy, though it's clear that he has struggled in this department throughout his career.
Since entering the league back in 2019, the point guard has logged north of 59 games just three times. Here in year seven, he's only suited up for 26 of a potential total of 51, largely due to nagging foot injuries that, based on the evidence, could be career-lasting.
Said ailments have forced him out for the last nine games and counting.
Meanwhile, Harden, though technically in the twilight years of her career here at 36, has played in all but five games this season and has served as a major contributor amid the Clippers' resurgence tour. Abruptly parting with him mid-season could, in theory, severely hurt Los Angeles' upward trajectory.
By swapping the future Hall of Famer out for the likes of Garland, yes, the Clippers do obviously bring on a player more geared toward the future (something the league's oldest roster could desperately use), but they also bring more risks, particularly in the immediate future with the guard's concerning injury woes.
Essentially, this head scratching trade idea invites the opportunity for the Clippers to plummet back down the standings the rest of season if all goes wrong, or, in the case for the Thunder, if all goes right.
If this trade ultimately goes down, and Garland continue to struggle with his injuries, the odds of Oklahoma City landing a coveted lottery pick in 2026 should absolutely skyrocket.