Just became a favorite to compete for the championship, the boss faces ban, the strongest substitute has a torn hamstring, and the most injured is Harden

When James Harden smiled at the camera during this year's China tour, he might be looking forward to the prospect of the Clippers' championship in the new season. This team has formed a luxurious lineup through a series of operations during the offseason. Its overall strength and championship odds are all ranked among the top five in the league, becoming a force that cannot be ignored in the West. However, just one month later, an explosive news brought all expectations to an abrupt end - the league officially intervened in investigating the suspected "yin-yang contract" behavior between Clippers boss Ballmer and star Leonard. If the investigation is confirmed, the Clippers may not only lose their future first round picks, but Leonard may even face the risk of banning. In this sudden crisis, the person who was most injured was undoubtedly 34-year-old Harden, a veteran who kept sacrificing his dream of a championship, once again stood at the crossroads of fate.

The Clippers' 2025 offseason can be called a "burning the boat" style of gamble. The team sent away role players such as Powell and introduced strong players such as Paul, Bill, and Lopez at all costs to form a five-star lineup with Harden and Leonard. This lineup with a total salary far exceeds the luxury tax line is regarded by the outside world as the closest configuration to the champion in Harden's career. Harden made another sacrifice for this, taking the initiative to cut salary and renew his contract to make room for the team, continuing his career trajectory of "giving up salary for the championship" after leaving the Rockets.

But this seemingly impeccable "aircraft carrier" actually hides a deadly reef. According to ESPN reporter Torre, Leonard obtained a $28 million endorsement contract through a carbon neutral company called Aspiration, which was founded by Ballmer's investment of $50 million. More importantly, Leonard did not provide any substantial services to the company, and the annual income of $7 million in four years is more like a secret salary covered in the guise of endorsement. This operation mode is exactly the same as the "yin-yang contract" between Joe Smith and the Timberwolves in 1998 - At that time, the Timberwolves evaded the salary cap through private agreements and was eventually deprived of the first round of five years and fined $3.5 million.

History is always surprisingly similar. When Leonard joined the Clippers in 2019, the three-year, $103 million contract sparked doubts - as the "No. 1 in the league" who just led the Raptors to win the championship, his salary ranking is only tenth in the league, even lower than Paul George and Lowry. Now Aspiration's bankruptcy documents have unveiled the tip of the iceberg, giving substantial evidence of the suspicion of NBA senior executives back then. Once the league investigation is confirmed, the Clippers will face the penalty of depriving the first round picks in the next three years, and Leonard's risk of banning will directly shake the team's foundation.

The house is leaking and raining all night, the Clippers' crisis is not just a salary scandal. During the European Championships, the team's substitute core Bogdan suffered a hamstring torn, which not only quit the Cup early, but also may affect the preparations for the NBA's new season. For the Clippers, this substitute guard who averaged 11.4 points, 3.2 assists and 42.7% of three-point shooting percentage is by no means optional - he is the only player in the second team who can independently create offense and is also a key rotation to alleviate Harden's pressure to hold the ball.

Bogdan's injury resonates with the pay scandal. After losing the substitute firepower point, the already aging lineup of the Clippers is even more fragile: 39-year-old Paul is difficult to support the high-intensity game throughout the game, 34-year-old Harden will be forced to undertake more ball-holding tasks, and 32-year-old Leonard will be suspended again, the team's blueprint for the championship will completely collapse. Data shows that the Clippers will only have five first-round picks in the next seven years, of which the 2025 and 2027 signs are still in the hands of the Thunder, which means that they lack current competitiveness and have lost their capital for reconstruction.

All this seems familiar to Harden. Since leaving the Rockets in 2021, his journey to the championship has always been tangled by bad luck: he encountered Irving's vaccine storm and Durant's injury during the Nets, and was cheated hard by Mo during the contract renewal during the 76ers. He came to the Clippers to make various sacrifices to win the championship, and Harden made a series of squads that were enough to compete for the championship. Unexpectedly, the season had not started and something went wrong again. As a tragic superstar who has played in the playoffs for 14 consecutive years but has never won the championship, Harden's every sacrifice failed to get the reward he deserved. He voluntarily lowered his tactical status, voluntarily gave up his maximum salary contract, and even changed his signature style of play, but he could never escape the fate of "teammates were injured" and "team strife in the team". The rift of trust in the locker room may be more deadly than an on-field crisis. When Harden learned that Leonard had obtained additional income through secret channels, his own sacrifice of reducing his salary and strengthening seemed particularly ironic. This injustice in the distribution of interests is very likely to breed contradictions - After the Timberwolves scandal was exposed in 2000, the team failed to return to the playoffs for a full five years, and the collapse of internal trust is far more destructive than losing a draft pick. The biggest challenge facing Clippers coach Tyron Lue may not be tactical arrangements, but how to maintain the team's unity under the shadow of the salary scandal.

34-year-old Harden no longer has the capital to wait. Data shows that although his average of 21 points and 10.7 assists per game last season is still top-notch, his athletic ability decline can be seen from the naked eye. The contract structure of the Clippers lineup determines that next season is the only window period - Bill's form, Paul's health, and Lopez's defense are difficult to maintain for a long time. Once it fails, the team is very likely to send Leonard away and enter reconstruction, and Harden will become a victim of salary space, repeating his wandering fate at the Nets and the Sixers.

Now, Harden only hopes that the NBA can adopt a "compromise plan" - heavy punishment of draft picks but reduces players' bans, which not only demonstrates the seriousness of the rules, but also preserves the commercial value of the league. But this time, will the goddess of luck still stand on his side? Can the Clippers' luxury aircraft carrier pass through this sudden storm? The answer may not be revealed until the new season starts, but for Harden, every day he waits for the championship dream to fade.