Los Angeles Clippers superstar guard James Harden is staying put.
Harden is expected to decline his player option and intends to sign a new two-year, $81.5 million contract to return to the Clippers.
ESPN’s Shams Charania shared via X.
BREAKING: 11-time NBA All-Star James Harden is declining his player option and intends to sign a new two-year, $81.5 million contract to return to the Los Angeles Clippers, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/qQMwkkMjMs
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2025
Harden’s new deal allows the Clippers to add significant talent to their roster. The second year will be a player option and will be partially guaranteed if Harden opts in.
Harden, 35, will enter his 17th season in the league. He’s established himself as one of the best players in the history of the game. He is coming off a stellar season, which earned him yet another All-Star appearance. In 79 games, the one-time MVP averaged 22.8 points, 8.7 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals on 41 percent shooting from the field and 35.2 percent from three in 35.3 minutes per contest.
Harden earned All-NBA Third Team honors this past season and logged the fifth-most minutes across the league. He was also the only player to finish the year with at least 1,500 points, 500 assists, 100 steals, and 50 blocks — a testament to his all-around impact.
The veteran guard will enter his second full season with the team after he was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers at the start of the 2023-24 season. In that trade, Harden was sent to Los Angeles along with P. J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev from the 76ers in exchange for Marcus Morris Sr., Nicolas Batum, Kenyon Martin Jr. and Robert Covington.
During his time as a Clipper, Harden has been stellar, averaging 19.8 points per game, 8.6 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.3 steals while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three-point range in 151 games and 34.8 minutes of action.
While Harden delivered during the regular season, his postseason struggles once again came to the forefront. In Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets, he managed just seven points — another underwhelming playoff showing in a career that’s had its fair share of big-stage letdowns.
The 35-year-old will turn 36 in August, but despite this, he is still proving to be an All-NBA caliber player. The Clippers clinched the No. 5 seed in the West last season and were a game away from advancing to the second round for the first time since the 2021 season.
Los Angeles will aim to carry the momentum from their strong playoff push and impressive finish into the 2025-26 campaign.
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