James Harden Signed Off on Los Angeles Clippers Signing Chris Paul Despite Not Having ‘Greatest Relationship’ With Him on Houston Rockets

James Harden signed off on the Los Angeles Clippers signing Chris Paul despite not having the “greatest relationship” with him on the Houston Rockets, according to NBA insider Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

“And you know look, there had to be an understanding with James Harden,” Windhorst said. “He and James Harden didn’t have the greatest relationship when they were in Houston a few years ago, but Harden is on board with this signing. They went to him with it first. He understands that he played the fifth most minutes in the league last year and anything the Clippers can do to support and protect him is welcomed and that’s what this move is.”

Harden and Paul were teammates on the Rockets from 2017-18 to 2018-19. Houston reached the conference finals in 2018, losing to the Golden State Warriors in seven games. Harden and Paul then lost to the Warriors in the second round of the 2019 playoffs.

The Rockets traded Paul to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Russell Westbrook in 2019, a move Harden pushed since he no longer wanted to play with Paul.

It appears Harden and Paul are on good terms again. Paul is not expected to play a lot next season for the Clippers, who lost to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2025 playoffs in seven games.

“From what I understand, he’s not gonna have guaranteed playing time,” Windhorst said. “There are going to be nights where James Harden and their backup Kris Dunn get the minutes at point guard and Chris Paul might not play at all, which is something you’ve never seen from him before. He has understood that. He understands that he’s gonna be in that spot that he hasn’t. He wants to be on a competitive team in the market he wants to play in near his family.”