James Harden had an All-NBA season for the Clippers, carrying their offense — with Paul George on the East Coast and Kawhi Leonard hurt the first part of the season — averaging 22.8 points and 8.7 asissts a game, leading the team to 50 wins and a tie for the 3/4/5 seeds in the West (the Clippers were the fifth seed based on tie breakers and lost in the first round to Denver).
Harden also had a $36.7 million player option for next season, but he is turning that down to sign a two-year, $81.5 million contract to remain with the Clippers, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and quickly confirmed by others. The second year of that contract is partially guaranteed and includes a mutual option, which means that if Harden exercises the option (which seems likely), the Clippers can waive him but incur a dead cap hit for the guaranteed portion.
This was expected. They needed each other and had nowhere else to turn. Harden was the heart of the Clippers’ offense last season and they need him to play at that level again to be competitive next season. For Harden, there wasn’t a free agent market for him (only Brooklyn would have the cap space to sign him near the price he is asking, and it is rebuilding, not looking for players who will be 36 by the start of next season).
The Clippers wanted him back, but on a short-term deal. Now, Harden and Kawhi Leonard each have two years left on their contracts, as does every other rotation player on the roster, outside of Ivica Zubac, who has three years remaining. The Clippers have set themselves up for a pivot in a couple of seasons (possibly one, as they could start trying to trade players with expiring deals next summer).
The Clippers have more business to do this summer: Nicolas Batum opted out of his $4.9 million player option for next season. The Clippers would like to and expect to re-sign him, but that will cost a little more than what he was going to make.
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