James Harden opts out of contract, expected to sign new deal with Clippers
James Harden will decline the player option on the final season of his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers but intends to re-sign with the team on a new two-year contract, ESPN is reporting.
ESPN reports that Harden's new contract with the Clippers will be worth $81.5 million. Harden had until Sunday, June 29 to make a decision on his previous contract with the Clippers.
Had Harden exercised his player option, he would have played out the final year of his contract in Los Angeles and would've become a free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season.
A new Harden deal also aligns with the contract that his co-star in Los Angeles, Kawhi Leonard, has. Leonard is signed for two more seasons, through 2026-27, keeping the two star players together.
Harden was a reliable presence for the Clippers this year, especially with the prolonged absences of Leonard, who dealt with knee inflammation to start the season. Harden played 35.3 minutes per game and started 79 games. He averaged 22.8 points, 8.7 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game.
Although the Clippers played in just seven postseason games – all in a thrilling first-round series against the Denver Nuggets – Harden's 9.1 assists per game was the highest individual total for all players who participated in the postseason.
The Clippers were one of the better teams in the NBA down the stretch, winning 18 of their final 21 games in the regular season, including the final eight.
Harden, an 11-time All-Star and the 2017-18 Most Valuable Player, will enter his 17th season in the NBA. He has scored 27,687 career points, which ranks 11th all-time.
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