Last Updated:June 30, 2025, 08:53 IST
James Harden is opting out of his player option with the Los Angeles Clippers to sign a new $81.5 million deal for two seasons.
James Harden with the LA Clippers (X)
Reports suggest that James Harden is opting out of the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers and signing a new deal that would be worth $81.5 million to stay with the team for the next two seasons.
The 11-time All-Star guard will return to the Clippers after spending the past two seasons there. The second year of the new pact reportedly has a player option and partial guarantees.
Harden averaged 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 8.7 assists last season — his 16th in the league — while his 3-point shooting ticked down from 38.1 percent the year before to 35.2 percent.
He was an All-Star for the 11th time and returned to the All-NBA team for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
“He’s our No. 1 priority,” Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, told the media after the first round of the draft Wednesday night.
“We’re super hopeful that James is here and he’s here for a long time. He has a player-option, so he can opt-in … or he can opt-out, and hopefully we can do a deal that makes sense for both sides. But James, as you guys know, was phenomenal and we hope to continue to see his play.”
Harden is one of only four players in NBA history to average at least 22 points, five rebounds, and five assists in his 16th season or later.
The other to achieve the same feat: LeBron James (seven times), Kobe Bryant (twice), and Kevin Durant (once).
The Clippers have won 101 games combined in the last two seasons but have been ousted from the first round of the playoffs in both years.
Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac had breakout seasons in 2024-25, but Kawhi Leonard’s health was again an issue, with the former Finals MVP playing just 37 games.
Harden will enter the season 11th on the NBA’s scoring list with 27,687 points — within reach of No. 10 Carmelo Anthony (28,289) and No. 9 Shaquille O’Neal (28,596) — and 13th in assists with 8,316 — 208 behind No. 12 Andre Miller and 650 behind No. 11 Gary Payton.
(with agency inputs)
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term…Read More
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term… Read More
News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!First Published:News sports James Harden Signs New Two-Year, $81.5M Deal To Stay With LA Clippers: Report