Los Angeles Clippers forward John Collins addressed reports of a potential James Harden trade following Monday’s 128-113 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. “Wasn’t thinking about it, but cool. Don’t get my pretty feet. It’s gone a different way than I expected. Welcome,” Collins said with a laugh.
Collins reflected on the team’s struggles in the loss. “I’m not necessarily sure. Whenever I think about it, it’s more than one thing. Offensive execution, they’re making a lot of tough shots… just got to step up and play better,” he said.
When asked about Harden’s trade possibility, Collins admitted surprise. “No, I definitely was shocked. Obviously, I don’t know too much right now, but just going to continue to see how it unfolds and go with it,” he explained.
The forward acknowledged the impact Harden has had on the team’s recent success. “Hell yeah. It would definitely be a shock for me, for the team, and what we’ve been able to do… just something out of left field,” Collins said.
Collins discussed his approach to trade deadline speculation. “At this point, I’m somewhere in between just not looking at my phone and thinking I’m a GM… I’ll try to stay as focused as I can because in the NBA, you never know what could happen,” he said.
He expressed surprise that trade rumors surfaced amid a strong stretch of play. “Hell yeah, I am surprised… but in that same sense, I’m not, ’cause it’s the NBA,” Collins said.
Monday’s loss came as Philadelphia improved to 11-10 without Paul George, with Tyrese Maxey scoring 29 points, Dominick Barlow adding 26 and 16 rebounds, and Joel Embiid posting 24 points in his return from a right ankle injury. The Sixers led by 23 at halftime and held the lead throughout the game.
The Clippers, missing Harden for personal reasons, relied on Kawhi Leonard, who scored 29 points, and Jordan Miller, who added 21 off the bench. Los Angeles sits 23-26, ninth in the Western Conference, still in play-in contention.
Harden, 36, is reportedly in advanced talks to join the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland, 26, though a draft pick or pick swap remains a sticking point.
With the February 5 trade deadline approaching, Collins and his teammates must balance on-court performance with uncertainty surrounding one of their primary scorers. “We’ll continue to handle this as it unfolds,” Collins said.
