Since adding both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in 2019, plenty of analysts had high hopes for the “little brother” team in LA, as at full strength, there aren't that many teams that could match up with the team's firepower. Alas, time has not been too kind to the Los Angeles Clippers' hopes of winning a championship. Leonard and George aren't getting any younger, and yet here the Clippers are, gradually falling out of the league's upper echelon.

This is not to say that their championship hopes for the 2023-24 season are completely cooked. For as long as Leonard and George are on the team, they will have a puncher's chance at achieving basketball immortality. However, both players have endured their fair share of injury woes over the past few seasons, and them being healthy when it matters most (i.e. playoff time) is about as likely as the team's chances of trading for Damian Lillard.

Nevertheless, given the talent already on the roster, it's not a stretch to think that the addition of a certain former MVP (other than Russell Westbrook, who re-signed with the team earlier this offseason) could help the Clippers reach their goal of entering the 2024 postseason at full strength.

Here's the trade the Clippers must remain in pursuit of even as we go deeper into the offseason.

Clippers trade target: James Harden

It's not too often that a star of James Harden's caliber chooses not only to request a trade, but also to demand that he be traded to the Clippers. Clearly something behind the scenes has gone wry for the Philadelphia 76ers that Harden is refusing a chance to run it back with reigning MVP Joel Embiid. But can the Clippers, given their dearth of assets, swing a deal that the Sixers find satisfactory?

The Clippers' lack of draft assets is no secret. They still have to fork over next year's first-round pick pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder courtesy of the Paul George trade, a draft swap in 2025, and another first-rounder in 2026. The Sixers will be wanting a solid package for Harden, as he's still their second-best player despite all of the 33-year old guard's deficiencies.

Thus, it's fair to wonder whether the Sixers decide to settle for the best package the Clippers can offer even if it pales in comparison to what other teams could put on the table. This is especially the case when all the Clippers could offer in terms of which players could help the Sixers right away include Norman Powell, Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris Sr., and Terance Mann, which don't exactly scream needle-moving.

Moreover, the Clippers are reportedly reluctant to include Mann in trade talks. Mann has certainly shown through the years that he can be a positive contributor to a team with contending aspirations. But the Sixers will fight tooth and nail for his inclusion. Will the Clippers budge in this regard?

In any case, the rationale behind wanting to trade for James Harden isn't hard to understand for the Clippers. Harden will give the Clippers three players who can create both for themselves and others from the perimeter. And to top it all off, Harden will be a much-needed workload sponge for them alongside Russell Westbrook, helping save Kawhi Leonard and Paul George's legs for the playoffs.

Harden has not been the most consistent playoff performer throughout his career thus far. But with the Clippers, he can certainly settle into more of a playmaking role — a role he's perfect for given the decline in his ability to get to the rim and finish once there. He'll also have synergy with Westbrook given their considerable experience playing together back with the Thunder and the Houston Rockets.

Losing Terance Mann may hurt, but there's no room for sentimentality in one's quest to win a championship. There's no mistaking it, adding James Harden will bolster the Clippers' title chances tenfold. In the NBA, there certainly is no such thing as too much depth, but in the Clippers' case, consolidating the talent they have on hand may be the only way they can cement themselves in next year's title picture.

All the signs still point to a likely partnership between James Harden and the Clippers, especially when Harden was absent during Joel Embiid's wedding. That relationship certainly looks like it's heading to a point of no repair. So it'll be up to the Clippers brass as to whether they'll be willing to pony up what it's going to take to acquire Harden. Now all fans can do is wait for around three more months to see what the Clippers roster looks like come opening night.