The Clippers' surprising collapse is a massive thorn in the Spurs' side

The passing of the NBA trade deadline often marks the end of eras. This phenomenon is true of both the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers in this year's iteration. The Grizzlies' implosion deserves mention, but the Clippers' collapse is the one that could have damning effects on the San Antonio Spurs.

In case you forgot, the Spurs' biggest rival, the Oklahoma City Thunder, holds the rights to the Clippers' next two first-round picks. As Los Angeles just traded two of their most valuable players, James Harden and Ivica Zubac, they are set to take a huge slide in the standings.

Unless Kawhi Leonard can carry the beaten-down squad into the playoffs, OKC is headed towards another lottery pick.

The Clippers will struggle without James Harden and Ivica Zubac

For the first couple of months in the NBA season, the Clippers were one of the worst teams in the NBA. Despite a roster full of talented vets, the unit couldn't buy a win. However, as of late, the squad has been performing much better. Since the calendar switched, Los Angeles is 12-6 and has slowly crept up in the standings. Yet still, the management group decided they have had enough.

Ahead of the trade deadline, the Clippers traded away James Harden to the Cavaliers as well as Ivica Zubac to the Pacers. These moves signaled that the Lakers' little brother has waved the white flag.

The players they received for the high-caliber stars aren't nearly as effective; Darius Garland is battling a toe injury, while Bennedict Mathurin is known for delivering empty stats. Now, as it currently stands, the Clippers are a shell of their former selves. In reality, it's Kawhi Leonard and a whole bunch of nothing. This is not a winning formula, especially in the Western Conference.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will continue to get better

As if their acquisition of Jared McCain wasn't enough, the Thunder will be getting even more help. This underscores their genuine fear of the Spurs.

As the Spurs enter the playoffs and look to kickstart a potential dynasty, the Thunder will continue to be the team's biggest rival. Before OKC can cash in on another lottery pick, San Antonio must capitalize. The Silver and Black have proved that they can beat the reigning champs, and they will need to do so again if they want to win a championship in 2026.

With the Thunder set to bolster their already loaded squad even further this offseason, the Spurs should do the same if they want to counter the growing superteam. While Giannis Antetokounmpo is likely not the answer, San Antonio will likely need to take some sort of swing this offseason if they want to fend off OKC in the future.

It's unfortunate that there are so many idiotic general managers out there who allowed the Thunder to compile so many assets. They hardly had to do anything to form what is the most frightening team in the NBA. The pressure is on for San Antonio to be the one to take down OKC before it is too late. If they can't, things could get ugly. Way to go, Los Angeles.