James Harden returns to Clippers on 2-year, $70 million deal
James Harden plans to sign a two-year, $70 million contract to return to the LA Clippers, according to multiple reports.
www.nba.comHere’s the latest widely reported update:
- James Harden is closing a new contract with the Los Angeles Clippers: a two-year deal worth about $81.5 million, with the second year containing a player option and partial guarantee. The deal keeps Harden in L.A. beyond the 2025-26 season and aligns him with Kawhi Leonard on long-term terms. This development followed Harden declining his $36.3 million player option for the 2025-26 season. [Source: ESPN report, June 28-29, 2025; multiple outlets corroborate the terms.]
Notes and context:
- The arrangement is the expected outcome after Harden’s stay with the Clippers was repeatedly described as a priority for the organization, with the option to opt in or out and a potential longer-term agreement in discussion. [Source: ESPN and HoopsHype reporting from June 2025; cited by Bleacher Report and SI as well.]
- If you’re tracking in-season implications, the two-year structure with a potential 2026-27 player option gives Harden a pathway to adjust earnings based on team performance and his own play. [Source: ESPN detailing the contract structure.]
Would you like a quick one-paragraph summary for social media or a short, bullet-point timeline of how this contract evolved in the 2025 offseason? I can also pull a concise table comparing the key terms from the major reports.