James Harden got a notable concession from the Los Angeles Clippers as part of his new contract with the team.
Harden and the Clippers agreed to a new two-year, $81.5 million deal on Sunday, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. Harden declined his $36.3 million player option for next season in order to sign the new contract.
The major concession the Clippers appeared to make was to give Harden a second partially-guaranteed season on the deal. Harden had been seeking some sort of guarantee on the second year of the contract, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.
The question for Harden was what the Clippers would do on that second year as they stay disciplined. Player option and partial guarantee is a nice compromise for both sides. https://t.co/90EqlzAdwB
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) June 29, 2025
Harden had been expected to remain with the Clippers, and as predicted, the contract at least somewhat aligns with Kawhi Leonard’s deal. The Clippers eliminate a bit of risk by ensuring that Harden’s deal is not fully guaranteed, just in case the 35-year-old suffers a quick decline. Either way, Harden is guaranteed to get at least something out of the second year of that deal.
Harden had a remarkable bounceback season for the Clippers last year. He averaged 22.8 points and 8.7 assists per game and was named to one of the All-NBA teams for the first time since 2020, his final full season with the Houston Rockets.
