James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers have big decisions to make this offseason. Harden had a resurgence in the 2024-2025 season, earning an All-Star nod and Third Team All-NBA honors, averaging 22.8 points and 8.7 assists per game.
Harden played in 79 games in his mid-30s and was the main reason for the Clippers defying odds and securing the 5th seed in the Western Conference, along with the team's second consecutive 50-win season.
Harden's performance in Games 5 and 7 of the first-round series against the Denver Nuggets, however, was a big reason why the Clippers did not advance.
A new report from NBA Insider Marc Stein revealed that the 11-time All-Star should remain with the Clippers, but a decision on how the two parties will reach that decision remains to be seen.
"Another newsy option deadline decision we'll get on this momentous Sunday: The Clippers' James Harden has until 5 PM ET to activate or bypass his $36.3 player option for next season," Stein wrote.
He continued, "The overwhelming expectation, of course, is that Harden will remain a Clipper. The real curiosity is what sort of deal the sides will hash out if Harden lets the option go."
If Harden does decide to decline his option, a deal that aligns with Kawhi Leonard's contract through the 2026-27 season seems to be the consensus, and could land Harden anywhere from $30 to $40 million per year.
So @ZachLowe_NBA just said this about the Clippers in free agency on Ty Jerome, Harden and Kawhi pic.twitter.com/DtB6t1ZcCu
— Adam Auslund (@followAdamA) June 29, 2025
The Clippers have many big decisions to make with their roster, and Harden is at the top of the list when it comes to getting a deal done.
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