The Los Angeles Clippers will be satisfied with this offseason, at least for now. According to Shams Charania, one of the most popular NBA insiders in the association today, James Harden is staying with the Clippers even though he was going to become a free agent once this stage started tomorrow at 6 pm. Neither the Clippers nor the player have officially announced the agreement.
Just as the Los Angeles Clippers were eliminated from the playoffs a couple months ago by the Denver Nuggets, there were some matters to take care of. The team said that they were making James Harden’s contract a priority towards offseason. Losing Harden to free agency would be letting a perennial all-star walking and letting other team get stronger. Malpractice in the eyes of many.
James Harden’s 2 year extension
Free agency poses an opportunity for various players, in this case, Harden used it in his favor. He opted out of his player option which would pay him $36.35 million dollars in the 2025-26 season. Surely Harden was encouraged to sing looking at the amount offered, but ultimately he bet on negotiation. Well, the Clipper‘s agent, Troy Payne, certainly did a good job securing him more money and a larger period of linking with the franchise.
According to Shams Charania, James Harden intends to sing a 2 year extension for $81.5 million dollars. That would give him a $40.75 million dollar annual salary, more than the player option he was credited to. Also, he secured himself another year in Los Angeles, his hometown, were the majority of his family live.
James Harden’s best season with the Clippers
Harden is coming off of his best season since leaving the Houston Rockets at the 2021 trade deadline. He stepped up on the offensive end for a Clippers team that struggled to score, bringing his scoring average up to 22.8 points per game after only scoring 16.6 per game during the 2023-24 season. He also contributed 8.7 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game while seeing improvements on the defensive side of the ball.
Now that one of its core players is affixed to the team for the next two seasons, the Clippers are looking to keep improving the roster. The other star player for the team, Kawhi Leonard, is also linked to the franchise for the next two years, so that is important to maintaint their contender label. Steve Ballmer’s team should look at bench depth and development of draft picks for this offseason.
James Harden’s 2024-25 season
- 22.8 PPG
- 8.7 APG
- 5.8 RPG
- Shooting %’s: 41/35.2/87.4
- Win shares: 8.3
Read the full article here
