As the Clippers went on a high-stakes scavenger hunt to find a star to pair with Kawhi Leonard, they held few boundaries in asking after players.

One that they inquired about was James Harden, according to The Athletic. They were reportedly told he was unavailable, unsurprisingly, but it says something that they went as far as asking.

At the time, remember, the Rockets were embroiled in reported chemistry issues between Harden and Chris Paul, which Harden recently shot down. Though the logical (and it turned out, eventual) end to that was trading Paul, other teams might have thought Harden was available at the right price. Of course, it’s also possible that the Clippers were just doing their due diligence.

According to the story, they also reached out to the Wizards about Bradley Beal and were rebuffed, while Leonard looked to team up with Jimmy Butler on the Clippers. Leonard asked Kevin Durant about hooking up in LA and also reached out to Kyrie Irving.

Things eventually resolved themselves when the Clippers added Paul George, clearing the way to pair Leonard with a star and for another step in the NBA’s realignment.