James Harden has agreed to stay with the LA Clippers on a two-year, $70 million deal, league sources instructed ESPN on Sunday.
The Clippers and Harden wasted little time in coming to an settlement as free agent All-Star wing Paul George’s future with the group remained unsure. George was scheduled to satisfy with the Clippers, Sixers and Magic starting late Sunday, sources instructed ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Clippers traded for Harden in late October and after a sluggish begin, the purpose guard helped the Clippers flip round from a 3-7 begin to being atop the Western Convention standings briefly at 34-15 in early February.
Harden, a Los Angeles native, repeatedly expressed throughout the season how comfortable he was enjoying at residence. The purpose guard, who will flip 35 in August, averaged 16.6 factors and eight.5 assists in 72 video games for the Clippers this previous season.
We expect James has been terrific for us after we obtained him 5 video games into the season,” Lawrence Frank, Clippers president of basketball operations, mentioned Thursday. “Thought he had a terrific season. … He is been nice when it comes to even the offseason, coming in, understanding, coming in two-a-days, getting further work in.”
Harden compelled a commerce to Los Angeles after a really public falling out with Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey over Harden’s contractual scenario final summer season. It was Harden’s third group change in underneath three calendar years after his long-term run with the Houston Rockets, the place he grew to become an MVP and helped revolutionize the best way offense is performed within the NBA.
Whereas now not posting huge scoring numbers alongside Kawhi Leonard and George, Harden confirmed this previous season that he stays a robust pick-and-roll operator and good 3-point shooter. Harden nonetheless ranked second within the NBA in factors per isolation final season, a nod to his days as a 30-point scorer, however he additionally tried 153 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers — his most since 2017-18 — as he spent extra day off the ball in L.A.
His 72 video games performed have been his most in a season since 2018-19. Harden averaged 21.2 factors and eight.0 assists within the Clippers’ first-round loss in opposition to the Mavericks when Leonard missed the final three video games due to a knee harm.
ESPN Stats & Data and Tim Bontemps contributed to this report.