Our player preview series for the 2026 Clippers continues with All-Star James Harden, the Clippers’ locker room leader and chief ballhandler.

Basic Information

Height: 6’5

Weight: 220 pounds

Position: Point Guard

Age: 36

Years in NBA: 16

Regular Season Stats: 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 1.5 steals, and 4.3 turnovers in 35.3 minutes per game across 79 games played (all starts) on 41.0/35.2/87.4 shooting splits (8.5 3PA, 7.3 FTA) with 58.2% TS

Contract Status: Signed a two-year, $81.5M deal this summer with a $39.2M salary this season and a $42.3M player option next summer

Expectations

James Harden blew all of last year’s expectations out of the water with a frankly incredible 2025 season where he carried the Clippers on offense just about the entire year until Kawhi returned to full health towards season’s end. He had some down stretches, but the totality of his numbers is still very impressive considering his age, miles, and lack of offensive support for much of the year.

However, all that said, there seems to be a pretty open understanding in the Clippers front office, coaching staff, and even with Harden himself that a repeat of the 2025 season is unlikely. Harden simply can’t play that many games with that minutes and creation load again, and the Clippers took steps to ensure he wouldn’t have to by signing Chris Paul and Bradley Beal to bolster their ballhandling and playmaking. Thus, I’d say expectations for Harden are much more in line with his 2024 campaign, with scoring in the mid to high teens, assists in the eight to 10 range, and lower turnovers than last year while being a more efficient scorer. He is locked in as the Clippers’ starting point guard and lead playmaker, and I have every expectation he will be good in that role this year, even if his numbers go down from last season.

Strengths

For all of Harden’s capabilities as a scorer, his passing ability is what will be most valuable on this Clippers team. Harden is 13^th all-time in the NBA in assists, and has an outside chance at getting to 10^th this season. He’s a brilliant passer that can manipulate the defense in all manner of ways to create open shots. This year, with the addition of both a thunderous rim-runner (John Collins) and a shooting big man (Brook Lopez), Harden will have even more avenues to success as a playmaker. There are only a few players in the league who are better at making offense easier for their teammates than Harden, and if the Clippers are going to have a good offense this year they will need Harden to keep the trains running on time.

While not nearly the scorer he was in his prime (when he led the league in scoring three years in a row), James is still a major scoring threat, averaging close to 23 points per game on excellent efficiency. He doesn’t take nearly as many threes or get to the line as much as earlier in his career due to a decrease in explosiveness, but players who take as many threes and get to the line as much as him per game can still be counted on the fingers of one hand. The mid-level scoring remains a bit hit-or-miss, and I wish Harden would get that 15-foot midrange jumper down, but there’s no denying he can still get buckets. On nights when the three-point shot is humming, Harden can still look almost unstoppable.

There’s no doubt that Harden was the leader of the 2025 Clippers. Some might scoff and say that very fact is why the Clippers floundered in the Nuggets series and capitulated completely in Game 7. Maybe. Yet, there’s no denying that Harden was the most accountable player on the Clippers last year, for better or worse, and that the team’s identity and culture (almost entirely positive) were attributed to Harden’s leadership. Nothing seems to have changed so far, with Harden organizing a mini-camp before the Clippers training camp and clearly being discussed as the head of the team. There might be some downside to Harden being the team leader, but it’s also refreshing to have a star player being the actual face of the team after five years of Paul George and Kawhi dodging that burden.

James Harden has been an iron man most of his career. He dealt with some injuries from 2021 to 2023 when on the Nets and Sixers, but rarely missed games during his prime in Houston, and has played 72 and 79 games in his two years with the Clippers. That availability was a big part of the Clippers’ success last year, both in terms of Harden’s ability to carry the offense and on-court chemistry. Hopefully the Clippers will be able to rest Harden a bit more this year to decrease his minutes per game as well as maybe his games played a tad, but compared to many of the Clippers’ other players Harden has a big edge for availability.

Weaknesses

On a game-in, game-out basis, the main flaw in James Harden’s game is that he can be a subpar defender. During the grind of an 82-game season, his effort can wax and wane, and there are nights where it is just noticeable he isn’t putting in a lot of work on that end. Even when he is trying, Harden’s just not quick laterally anymore, which means he will get picked on by quicker guards when cross-matched. He is strong and good at checking larger players, and his quick hands allow him to rack up steals, so he’s not a total zero on that end. However, Harden’s defense will be an issue come playoff time should the Clippers get there, and there will be a good chunk of regular season games where his defense will be a frustration.

Harden’s biggest criticism throughout his career might be his checkered playoff history. While most players’ performance declines in the playoffs (better game planning, higher quality of opponents, increase of pressure, etc.), Harden’s issues go a bit beyond that. His numbers do dip in the postseason (though on the whole they’re still quite good), but the pattern of his play is what’s unfortunate, as he generally plays well early on in series and wilts as the games mount in importance. Some (maybe even a lot) of that is fatigue due to the immense load that Harden has had to carry on offense for most of his teams. But there’s just no denying that Harden tightens up in those moments, revealed most consistently by his lack of aggression. It’s something that the Clippers will have to deal with if they reach the playoffs, though Harden has also had several incredible playoff performances for the Clippers.

Summary

James Harden is one of the Clippers’ most important players for the 2026 season. If he can be just as effective as he was last year, albeit in a somewhat lesser role, the Clippers will probably be in decent shape. His ability to floor raise on offense is critical for a Clippers’ roster that’s still relatively short on playmaking and explosiveness, and they’ll need him to be a playoff team. While there’s a chance that this season could be the end of the road for Harden with the Clippers (he has a player option for next year that he could decline if he has another great season), their two-year partnership has been an overall very positive one, and I’d imagine that continues into this third year.

2026 Clippers Player Preview: James Harden
Robert Flom

Our exit interview series on the 2025 Clippers continues with the team’s starting point guard and chief playmaker, James Harden.

Basic Information

Height: 6’6

Weight: 220 pounds

Position: Point Guard

Age: 35

Years in NBA: 16

Key Regular Season Stats: 22.7 points, 8.7 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 4.3 turnovers in 35.3 minutes per game across 79 games played (all starts) on 41.0/35.2/87.4 (8.5 3PA, 7.3 FTA attempts) shooting splits (58.2 True Shooting)

Postseason Stats: 18.7 points, 9.1 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks, and 3.0 turnovers in 39.4 minutes per game across seven games played (all starts) on 43.6/36.4/81.8 shooting splits (6.3 3PA, 4.7 FTA) shooting splits (56.7 True Shooting)

Expectations

Expectations for Harden entering the 2025 season were complicated. On the court, his role was extremely clear-cut – be the starting point guard, offensive organizer, and lead playmaker. However, with the departure of Paul George and questions swirling around the health and availability of Kawhi Leonard, most people’s expectations for the overall team were quite low – it was widely predicted the Clippers would be a mid-30s or maybe upper-30s win team that would be somewhere in the play-in range but not close to a real force in the Western Conference.

Therefore, even if people expected Harden to be very good, their overall expectations were maybe lower than they would have been otherwise, as the season as a whole was not predicted to amount to much. A common projection was for Harden to start off strong but then fade down the stretch of the season, much as he had in his first year on the team in 2024. In short, while there were clear expectations for Harden, the team’s context and his reasonable salary meant that there was not a ton of pressure on him entering 2025.

Reality

James Harden blew all realistic expectations out of the water this past year. There were disappointing moments. The playoffs could have gone better. There were nights he didn’t have it. But 35-year-old James Harden (he turns 36 in August) showed up every game (he missed just three), carried the Clippers on offense just about the entire year, and was by all accounts the leader in the locker room of a team that just didn’t quit despite being frequently undermanned and undertalented.

There are nits to pick, to be sure. Harden shot his worst two-point field goal percentage (47.2%) since his rookie season, frequently failing to finish at the rim and rimming out far too many seemingly clean midrange looks. His three-point shooting was good, not great. The turnovers, especially at the start of the season, were insanely high and often very frustrating own goals. It was not always pretty, especially on defense.

However, considering age, circumstance, and expectations, it was a massive victory of a season for Harden, who deservedly made the All Star Team and squeaked into the All-NBA Third Team, a tremendous honor. His production in terms of points, assists, and rebounds for a team that severely lacked offensive potency was needed every night – the Clippers usually could not do anything on offense without Harden on the court. He weathered the brunt of opposing defensive schemes game-after-game, soldiering through without Kawhi Leonard for most of the year. The Clippers did most of their winning on the defensive end of the court, it’s true, but without Harden’s offense they would not have sniffed the playoffs.

That’s not to excuse the playoffs. But again, considering overall expectations for Harden (second-best player on a good, not great, team), I think his postseason performance was not all that much worse than baseline, and certainly better than several other key Clippers. He was magnificent in Games 1 and 6, excellent in Game 3, good enough in Game 2, not good enough in Game 4, and dreadful in Games 5 and 7. You’d like more consistency, but the highs were incredible and the lows came in games where the entire team shat the proverbial bed. It’s easy to make fun of Harden, who has a horrible track record in the postseason. And I do think that his tendency to not go down firing is incredibly frustrating. But as always, he took too much heat for a series loss where only two Clippers played to or above expectations. It’s just the reality of James Harden in 2025. And, as the Clippers are not reasonably expected to be a championship-caliber team in the near future, that level of play is ultimately fine. If the Clippers are a competitive playoff team the next two years as they clear cap space and slowly rebuild their draft pick equity, that’s a positive outcome.

Future with Clippers

James has a player option for $36.3M for next season, which is immediately one of the most interesting decisions in the NBA. Harden was good enough this season that he was worth much more than that figure, though at his age there is some decline that has to be factored in. Getting that much money at his age is hard to pass up, but almost of the reporting so far is that Harden will opt out of that deal – but exclusively to re-sign on a longer deal with the Clippers. Harden seems to love playing for the Clippers, and the Clippers seem to love having him. So, what’s the issue?

Well, the Clippers have had their eye on the summer of 2026 (and 2027) to reload their roster in free agency for a long time. That means clearing the books, with as few major salaries on the roster as possible. Kawhi and Ivica Zubac are already signed through those years, as are a couple of the younger guys. Harden on a large deal would make things more complicated. That means a true long-term deal (three years or more) seems very unlikely.

If I had to guess, I think Harden will opt out of his player option and then re-sign to a very similarly structured deal (two-year deal, player or team option on the second year) but just with a salary increase. Maybe instead of a 2/70 deal, it will be 2/85. That keeps Harden in LA, rewards him for his excellent 2025 season, and gives the Clippers flexibility for next summer as well as the summer of 2027.

Regardless, it would be pretty surprising at this point if Harden was not on the Clippers next year. The Clippers’ pick is out the door, so there’s no point in them tanking, and Harden was the most important floor-raiser on the roster this past season. I think we will get at least one more season of Uno in Los Angeles, and that’s probably a good thing for all parties.

2025 Clippers Exit Interviews: James Harden
Robert Flom

With training camp just one week away, it’s time to start our annual player previews – first up, Clippers’ starting point guard James Harden.

Basic Information

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 220 pounds

Position: Point Guard

Age: 35

Years in NBA: 15

Regular Season Stats: Averaged 16.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 8.5 assists, and 1.1 steals in 34.3 minutes per game in 72 games played (all starts) on 42.8/38.1/87.8 shooting splits (61.2 True Shooting)

Playoff Stats: Averaged 21.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 1.0 steals in 40.3 minutes per game in 6 games played (all starts) on 44.9/38.3/90.6 shooting splits (61.6 True Shooting)

Contract Status: Signed a two-year, $70M deal this offseason

Expectations

James Harden is locked in as the Clippers’ starting point guard and second-best player this season with the departures of Russell Westbrook and Paul George (he was both of those things last year, but there were minor disputes from corners of the internet/media/fandom about them). He is going to have to carry a mighty load on offense, as the departures of those players and the addition of Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn, and Nic Batum means the Clippers have swung their role players in a more defense-focused direction. Harden is the best creator and passer on the team, and in the games Kawhi Leonard will miss (reported to be more this season due to his injuries last year) he is going to be the alpha and omega of the Clippers’ offense.

Strengths

It’s not hyperbole to say James Harden is one of the best passers and playmakers in NBA history. His 7,629 assists rank 4^th among active players and 14^th in league history, and that honestly might undersell him slightly. Harden can make every conceivable pass out of the pick and roll, and has run that play so many times and has such an advanced knowledge of defensive coverages that he’s frequently multiple steps ahead of the defense. There are not many players who can singlehandedly guarantee a competent NBA offense as a baseline floor, and Harden is one of them. When the ball is in his hands on offense, generally good things will happen.

The other primary skill in Harden’s Hall-of-Fame level toolbelt is his shooting. With 2,940 threes made in his career, Harden ranks third all time behind Steph Curry and Ray Allen, and will pass Allen sometime in the next year or two. Harden is most famous for his off-the-dribble threes, specifically his stepbacks, and that is indeed an incredible weapon. However, over the past couple years, as he’s adjusted to life as a co-star rather than the superstar, he’s also shown that he’s a very capable shooter off the catch. As long as Harden’s shooting remains at the level it’s been at, he’s a dangerous player when he gets hot.

The final strength that has unlocked Harden’s game is his ability to get downhill. His strength, first step, and footwork kept him at the rim (and the foul line) for most of his prime, with defenders simply unable to stay in front of him. That driving is what allowed his passing to flourish, as he produced seemingly endless drive-and-kicks for three as well as lob dunks to the likes of Dwight Howard and Clint Capela. Racking up free throws maintained Harden’s pristine efficiency despite taking a lot of very difficult shots, and while his free throw rate has dropped the past couple years, it’s still well above average for an NBA guard. He knows all the tricks of the trade, and remains a force when going downhill.

Weaknesses

James Harden’s longest standing weakness is his defense. A capable enough defender in his youth, Harden has for most of his career been a below-average defender, more due to inattentiveness than incapability. For much of his prime Harden had to carry such a massive load on offense that he more or less rested on defense, and old habits die hard. Harden isn’t awful on defense – he’s big, strong, and is good at snagging steals – but his feet are cement blocks when moving laterally and he is not usually on top of things when off-ball. He’s much better guarding bigger players where he can use his strength, which is one of the reasons why the Derrick Jones Jr. addition (a bigger player who is great at defending guards) is such a perfect fit on defense. Still, the Clippers will have to cover for Harden on that end.

Harden was once one of the NBA’s most durable players. From 2013 on, he played in 78, 73, 81, 82, 81, 72, 78, and 68 (in the COVID-shortened 2020 season) games, a remarkable feat for a star player averaging 36 to 39 minutes per game throughout that span. Since then, he has played in 44, 65, 58, and 72 games – not terrible durability, but not amazing either. Aged 35, and with more minutes played than all but five other players in the NBA, asking for 70+ games at 34+ minutes per game is probably asking for too much. And, if Harden goes down, the Clippers truly have nobody who can replace what he can do on offense. It’s a heavy burden for someone who at this stage should be scaling down (as he was the past couple years) rather than back up. Let’s hope Harden doesn’t crack under it.

Despite what I mentioned up above about Harden’s driving, there are some reasons to be concerned. His three-point rate (percentage of total shots that are threes) was 0.594 last season, the highest mark of his career by a decent margin. Harden’s 0.418 free throw rate, while still good, was the second-lowest of his career ahead of just his rookie season. Finally, just 14.4% of Harden’s shots came at the rim, by far a career low. In short, he’s settling for more and more jumpers and getting downhill less and less. While the shooting and playmaking are still there, if Harden loses the driving and free throws he probably won’t be a consistent 20-point scorer anymore – unless he returns to some of the midrange game of his youth. The efficiency will drop, and there will be a lot more nights of under 15 points.

Summary

James Harden was an All-Star level player last year for the Clippers, and even factoring in a tougher team situation and another year of age, there’s no real reason to expect much slippage this year. Even if he falls from the 30^th best player in the NBA to the 40^th, he will still easily be worth the $35M the Clippers paid him this summer. And, if he’s better than that and somehow helps power the Clippers to a playoff berth, there could be one final big payday in the Beard’s future.

2025 Clippers Player Preview: James Harden
Robert Flom

It was just reported (first by Shams Charania of the Athletic and then other sites) that James Harden is signing a 2 year, $70M deal to stay with the Clippers, with the second-year being a player option.

This is, overall, a totally fine deal for the Clippers and Harden. Harden averaged 16.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 8.5 assists for the Clippers last year in the regular season with 61.2% True Shooting efficiency. Those raw numbers and his impact stats both indicate he was a star-level player last year, albeit not an All-NBA level guy anymore, and $35M for that type of player is fine. He was also the Clippers’ best player in the playoffs, with 21.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 8 assists on 61.6% True Shooting.

Harden will turn 35 in August, which means you have to build some slippage into this deal. Even if he does continue to decline, that $35M/year value is pretty solid and probably only a slight overpay. The second year being a player option is also totally fine. If Harden declines and doesn’t seem to think he will get more elsewhere, he will pick it up. If he thinks he can get another bag next summer and/or is unhappy on the Clippers, he will presumably decline and leave.

This being a two-year deal is pretty interesting. The Clippers signed Kawhi to a three-year extension, have wanted to sign PG to a three-year deal, and the rumored deals for Harden were three years. I think this is beneficial for both sides, as Harden can move on if the Clippers are no longer competitive in a year or two, and the Clippers can similarly move up their rebuild in that case. Considering Harden’s age, getting him on a 1+1 is better than 2.

In terms of the overall Clippers’ offseason, this aligns with the Clippers’ seeming plan of getting under not just the second apron, but the first apron. That would open up the non taxpayer mid level exception, allowing them to sign a legitimate starter-level player as well as enable more flexibility with trades. Harden only being on a two-year deal also would indicate that PG is not coming back, and that the Clippers will be looking for a rebuild sooner than later.

This has seemed like a lock for a while now. No other team was rumored to even be pursuing Harden, nor was he suggested to have any interest in leaving. Thus, the first domino of the Clippers’ offseason has fallen. They have their starting point guard and their second-best player back, and now can focus on the Paul George discussions and the aftermath.

James Harden Re-Signs with Clippers On 2 Year, $70M Deal
Robert Flom

Our exit interview series on the 2024 Clippers continues with the Clips’ big in-season acquisition, starting point guard James Harden.

Basic Information

Height: 6’6

Weight: 220 pounds

Position: Point Guard

Age: 34

Years in NBA: 15

Regular Season Stats: 16.6 points, 8.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 2.6 turnovers in 34.3 minutes per game across 72 games played (all starts) on 42.8/38.1/87.8 (6.8 3PA, 4.8 FTA attempts) shooting splits (61.2 True Shooting)

Postseason Stats: 21.2 points, 8.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks, and 2.3 turnovers in 40.3 minutes per game across six games played (all starts) on 44.9/38.3/90.6 shooting splits (7.8 3PA, 5.3 FTA) shooting splits (61.6 True Shooting)

Expectations

James Harden, of course, wasn’t a Clipper to start the year. On his arrival, the expectations were simple – be the starting point guard, handle the ball so Paul George and Kawhi Leonard don’t have to, and add spacing with three-point shooting. While Harden is years past his prime, he was an All Star level player for the Sixers in his 1.5 years in Philadelphia, and the expectation was that he would play at a similar level for the Clippers.

Reality

Harden’s start with the Clippers was notoriously a bit rocky. Harden himself in November had fine albeit disappointing numbers, with 15.3 and 6.2 on a 63.9 True Shooting, but the lack of aggression and his uncertainty hurt the Clippers. That flipped in December, when Harden put together a monster 20 point, 5.2 rebound, 9.6 assist stretch with 66.1 True Shooting that catapulted the Clippers on their huge run. His scoring and usage dipped again in January, but his efficiency and assist numbers remained excellent as the Clippers continued on their torrid streak.

Harden’s season, like the Clippers, started to dip in February. Their defense, which had been falling, turned downright bad, and Harden’s slip from “fine” to “awful” was a big part of that. His scoring numbers and efficiency actually went up compared to January, but his assists dropped again as the Clippers’ oiled machine on offense turned more stagnant. Then, his scoring and efficiency plummeted in March, with Harden getting to the rim less and finishing worse when he did get there. With Kawhi Leonard out, the Clippers desperately needed a good James Harden, and he wasn’t there. In fact, in his five games in April, Harden averaged a mere 13 points per game on abysmal 49.9 True Shooting. Things were looking grim going into the playoffs.

Then, on a dime, things flipped. The rest Harden had down the stretch and before the playoffs definitely helped, as he was awesome in Game 1, helping the Clippers beat the Mavs without Kawhi Leonard. Harden was pretty good in Games 2 and 3 but not great, still showing up at least (more than Paul George in Game 3) but without the burst of Game 1. Then, Harden erupted in Game 4, scoring 33 points on 12-17 shooting while dishing 7 assists in the best playoff performance by a Clippers’ guard since the days of Chris Paul. The Mavs could not stop Harden, and the Clippers tied the series at 2-2.

That’s when things went downhill. Harden’s playoff demons re-emerged in Game 5, with a listless 7 point, 7 assist, 4 turnover showing being a major reason for the Clippers getting pummeled at home. Harden’s scoring efficiency remained poor in Game 6, with 16 points on 5-16 shooting, but his 13 assists to 1 turnover helped keep the Clippers in it for at least some of the game. Overall, while Harden wasn’t amazing writ large in the postseason, he had two great performances and three acceptable to good outings, which gave him the best grade of any Clipper. If only the teams other stars had been close to that.

Harden’s play continued to slip in 2024, with his 16.6 points per game being the lowest since his sophomore season way back in 2011. However, his playmaking and ability to run a competent, steady offense helped the Clippers significantly, and Harden actually adapted pretty well to playing off ball more in a lower usage role (also his lowest since 2011) by taking more catch-and-shoot threes. He didn’t receive almost any All-Star buzz, but I think he deserved the nod more than Paul George, and he was still right in that 30-40 range for best players in the NBA.

Future with Clippers

While James Harden is a free agent, unlike Paul George, there have been no rumblings of him going elsewhere. The list of teams who would pay Harden a bag might be just the Clippers (personally, I think he makes a lot of sense on the Magic), and he does not seem to want to go elsewhere. It seems very unlikely that Harden will walk in free agency, though there is an off chance that the Clippers low ball him too much and he heads out. All the signs are that he will return to the Clippers, probably on a deal between $30M and $40M for three seasons. That would keep him on team until Harden is nearly 38. It’s a risk, but Harden was good enough to warrant bringing him back at that price with the Clippers already in on Kawhi Leonard.

2024 Clippers Exit Interview: James Harden
Robert Flom

The Clippers blew away the Pacers 151-127 in a strong road win highlighted by a 21-point 4th quarter from James Harden.

Summary

The first quarter started with a burst of offense and never let up. The Clippers held an early lead, largely because Kawhi Leonard went 5-5 from the field for 10 points. On the other end, Buddy Hield made threes and Isaiah Jackson shockingly scored in double figures, keeping the Pacers attached. The Clippers had to adjust their usual rotations when Kawhi picked up his 2^nd foul, leaving PG as the star staggering with the bench. While PG scored 13 in the opening period, he took 11 shots, and the Pacers ended up seizing the lead late on a Hield three, holding a 38-37 edge after one.

Five quick Pacers points saw them grab a six-point advantage until Harden was able to stop the bleeding. Still, the Pacers were scoring at will until Kawhi and Zu returned at the 8 minute mark for Amir and Theis. The Clippers were able to tie it up by the 6:20 mark, which his when Ty Lue went to the “Normcore” unit with Norm in place of Mann with the starters. Kawhi, Harden, and Zu began to cook, and while the Pacers scored at a solid clip, dropping off just a tad allowed the Clippers to garner a 10 point lead. At halftime, the Clippers led 77-66, with all of their starters outside of Terance boasting double-digit plus minuses. Kawhi had 17 on 8-9 shooting, George had 18 on 6-12 shooting, and Harden had 14 and 6 on 5-8 shooting. Not much defense was being played.

The Clippers opened about as strong as possible, with a Zu and-one, Zu block, and PG three getting them to a 17 point lead in less than a minute. The Clippers continued to push their lead out, with their defense looking good and forcing consistent stops for the first time all game. However, they were unable to truly break the game open due to some missed open shots. The Clippers got their lead up to as high as 25, but the Pacers pushed back each time, and the lead sat at 20 going into the final frame.

The Pacers went out on a quick 5-0 run, bringing the Clippers’ lead down to 15, and had the chance to cut it further. From then on, James Harden took over in a spectacular way, one of the best concentrated displays of offense (and some of the worst defense by the Pacers) I’ve seen in thousands and thousands of NBA game. He scored 21 points in just over 6 minutes, including 18 straight points in about three minutes on a series of absurd stepback threes. His teammates were going wild, the crowd was doing the hushed murmuring you see when an opposing player is unstoppable, and the reactions on Twitter were glorious. Harden subbed out at the 5:22 mark after a particularly bonkers three, and garbage time ensued. The Clippers topped 150 points in the win, ultimately securing a 151-127 victory.

Notes

Big 3 Dominates, Again: For the first time maybe in the history of the Clippers’ franchise (apologies to DeAndre Jordan) the Clippers have a Big 3 that really feels like a Big 3. All of the Clippers’ three best players are clicking on just about every cylinder right now, both individually and as a collective. James Harden won player of the game honors for his bananas 4^th quarter and overall 35 point, 9 assist night on 16 shots against the Pacers, but Kawhi had 28 on 12-18 shooting, and PG had 25 on 9-21 shooting, and none of them played more than 31 minutes. Outside of an occasional questionable shot here or there, the Clippers’ stars are playing in the rhythm of the offense, not forcing anything, and generating good shots nearly at will. If the Clippers keep playing like this (big if), they should have three extremely worthy candidates for the All Star Game.

ZuBlocca Raging: And yet, for all of the deserved praise for the Clippers’ stars, the Clipper having the best stretch of his career right now is Ivica Zubac. Big Zu had 18 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks in 26 minutes and the only time the Clippers’ defense looked somewhat competent is when he was on the court. The big man is developing a nice chemistry with both James Harden and Russell Westbrook, and is playing stellar interior defense alongside his usual solid rebounding. He’s not quite at an All-Star level, but Zach Lowe threw him out as an All-Defense candidate on a pod last week, and he’s not far below that tier right now. Good for the big fella.

Clippers Outrace Pacers in 151-127, Harden-Led Victory
Robert Flom

The debut performance of the James Harden era did not go great for the Clippers, as they lost 111-97 to the Knicks on the road in a blowout.

Summary

The first half of the game was a complete slog. The Clippers were obviously integrating a major piece in Harden and looked like it, with 10 turnovers in the first. Surprisingly, Harden, the main addition, looked great, scoring 9 points on 4-5 shooting with three assists, three rebounds, and zero turnovers. The Clippers’ defense also held up well – though maybe that was just the Knicks’ terrible offense. The Knicks shot 37.5% from the field and 21.4% from three and looked every bit that bad. Nonetheless, the Clippers led 46-42 at the half.

The Clippers quickly extended their lead to six, but it was all downhill from there. The offense struggled outside of Kawhi Leonard iso ball, and the Knicks garnered a small lead. The rest of the quarter was a back and forth rock fight, with more scoring than the first half but also plenty of turnovers. However, at the 4:15 mark, Mason Plumlee went down with an injury, as Julius Randle dove into his legs going for a loose ball. Zu replaced him, and the Clippers battled on, with the game tied going into the fourth.

Ty decided, strangely, to tinker in the 4^th, giving Moussa Diabate center minutes alongside PJ Tucker with Bones, Norm, and Harden. That lineup was as bad as you’d expect, giving up a 7-0 run in less than 90 seconds. Kawhi came in for Moussa to go with small ball, but that lineup played for less than a minute before the rest of the starters checked back. Unfortunately, the Clippers had let go of the rope, the Knicks had momentum, and the game was a blowout in the blink of an eye behind Clippers’ turnovers and Knicks scoring in transition. The Clippers trailed by 16 with 4:20 to go, and Ty went back to the bench for garbage time. The Clippers lost by 14, with their bench unable to make any dent in the Knicks’ lead.

Notes

Harden Debut: Statistically, James Harden had a great debut. He was 6-9 from the field, 2-4 from three, and 3-3 from the line for 17 points, an extremely efficient outing. He also chipped in three rebounds, six assists, and a steal with just two turnovers. He was, however, a team-worst -18, and was responsible for multiple breakdowns on defense and Knicks’ offensive rebounds. Still, while flawed, the offense was certainly there for Harden, and he made one of his beautiful step-back threes. The offense just did not look right with both Russ and Harden out there, as each played better alone. That will be something to monitor as the games roll along.

Substitution Patterns: Bones Hyland and Mason Plumlee were first into the game at the 5:17 mark of the first quarter for Harden and Zubac. They played with the starters for a few minutes, and then around 2:30 Harden came back in along with Norm Powell for Westbrook and Leonard. Paul George stayed in the game for another minute before coming out for PJ Tucker, leaving Harden with the bench. This unit remained in the game for the start of the second quarter before the starters trickled back. The same patterns largely held true in the second half as well. On one hand, I like Harden being given the second unit to run on offense – and as we’ve discussed on TLTJTB, he will optimize Tucker. On the other, Harden, Bones, and Norm together with Plumlee/Moussa/Tucker on the backline is not tenable defensively. Still, it was just the first game.

Plumlee Injured: As mentioned above, Mason Plumlee went down in the late third quarter with a knee injury and had to be carried off the court. The Clippers deemed it a “knee sprain”, but an MRI will probably have to reveal the extent of the damage. Hopefully it was only twisted and Plumlee just misses a handful of games – but it could be a season-ender. If Plumlee is out, the Clippers will probably go with PJ Tucker as the backup center. Moussa Diabate got a handful of minutes in this one, and it remains ugly for him, especially on offense. Fingers crossed for Plumlee, but the Clippers’ backup center woes of last year might be returning.

Clippers Lose Possession Battle: I mentioned the Knicks’ offensive rebounding in the preview, and unfortunately my words proved accurate. The Knicks collected a ridiculous 18 offensive rebounds, resulting in their taking 15 more shots than the Clippers. The Knicks ended up shooting ok from the field, but they really won because the Clippers gave them so many chances between the offensive rebounds and the Clippers’ bonkers 22 turnovers. The turnovers will go down as the team gets acclimated, but the rebounding will probably be an issue all season, and might prove even more so without Plumlee.

Clippers Fall to Knicks 111-97 in James Harden’s Debut
Robert Flom

The Clippers are in Madison Square Garden against the Knicks, always a fun game – but one that could be hugely memorable if it marks the debut of one James Harden in a Clippers jersey.

Game Information

Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York

When: 4:30 PM PT

How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: Russell Westbrook – James Harden – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Knicks: Jalen Brunson – Quentin Grimes – Josh Hart – Julius Randle – Mitchell Robinson

Injuries

Clippers: Terance Mann Out (ankle), Brandon Boston Jr. Out (quad)

Knicks: RJ Barrett Questionable (knee)

The Big Picture

The Clippers are 3-2 and have the third-best Net Rating in the NBA with top-5 marks on both offense and defense, yet just about the entirety of their first 6% of the season (5/82!) can be thrown out due to the Harden trade. It’s been reported that Harden was targeting this game against the Knicks as his Clippers’ debut, and with four days to acclimate into the Clippers’ system and learn their plays, he should be ready. It remains to be seen how the Clippers’ starting lineup and overall rotations will be effected by Harden, but there’s no doubting the sheer starpower on the roster. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard have looked great to start the season, and adding a 21 and 10 guy in Harden should help juice the offense that much more.

The Antagonist

The Knicks are 2-4 to start the season but boast the 10^th best Net Rating in the NBA. This is entirely due to their 3^rd ranked defense, as their offense currently places a miserable 29^th. Julius Randle is struggling mightily, as he has every even season for the past half-decade, and the Knicks are also getting very little on offense from starting center Mitchell Robinson. As ever, the Knicks bench is a rollicking group, with Immanuel Quickley one of the best bench players in the NBA and Isaiah Hartenstein having a real argument as back backup center. The guy to watch for the Clippers is Jalen Brunson, who has continued his play from his All-Star season last year and is the kind of twitchy small guard the Clippers have long struggled defending. If Harden starts, it will be interesting to see who takes Brunson – probably either Westbrook or George.

Notes

New Starting Lineup: If the Clippers do start James Harden in his debut, which seems likely, the question mark then shifts to the fifth starter. Based on how the Clippers have talked about Russell Westbrook, it seems like he’d still be starting, regardless of fit issues. This is especially true with Terance Mann most likely not playing – if he was, maybe he’d get that spot. Bones Hyland has started the two games since the trade, but him starting over Russ does not seem realistic. The last potential option is PJ Tucker, who is theoretically a four that adds size, toughness, and rebounding. However, his offensive weaknesses and lack of spacing would seem to make him a tough fit, even if he does have many years experience playing with Harden. In order of likelihood I’d go with Russ, Tucker, Mann, and Bones as the final starter.

Rebounding: Even if the Clippers start PJ Tucker at power forward, they will be dramatically undersized against the Randle-Robinson frontcourt. The Knicks are not a great offensive team, but they are physical and aggressive on the offensive glass, averaging 14.8 per game (2^nd in the NBA). The Clippers are just an average rebounding team, and the size advantage Paul George and Kawhi Leonard usually have at the 2 and 3 will be mitigated if they shift to the 3 and 4 respectively. If the Clippers can keep the Knicks from getting too many second chance points, they should be able to outscore the Knicks with their dramatically superior firepower.

The Bench: If Russ does start, the Clippers would seem to have four bench players penciled in with Bones, Norm Powell, Tucker, and Mason Plumlee. Does Ty Lue stick with a 10 man rotation? If so, does he go with Kobe Brown (his choice against the Lakers) or Amir Coffey? If Terance does play, do the Clippers keep all five of those guys in the rotation, or does Tucker maybe take a seat? I do think when Terance is healthy Ty will keep the rotation at 10, with most of the bench players getting a pretty small dose of minutes. But if not, I don’t know if either Coffey or Brown gets rotation time.

Clippers vs Knicks Preview: The James Harden Debut?
Robert Flom

As always at 213 Hoops, we get the staff to discuss and grade the Clippers’ moves, with this one being the James Harden trade.

Niels Pineda: B+

On a team where roster consolidation was sorely needed, this move allowed us to trade 4 players competing for 1-2 bench spots into James Harden and PJ Tucker (who would also be competing for that bench spot).  This trade has been unsurprisingly controversial, but whatever critiques I personally have of James Harden are completely overshadowed by one really simple fact: he’s a really good basketball player.  The fit on the starters looks a bit shaky, but games are won over 4 quarters.  This move now allows us to keep one of 213 out there at all times alongside a legitimate facilitator and playmaker in Russ or Harden.  In terms of what we lost, there are things that the Clippers will absolutely miss about the lost players (Nico’s defensive length, RoCo’s unreasonably quick hands, and KJM’s youth and potential on an old team), but the main concern is obviously pushing our draft capital out even further.  As someone who believes the draft is largely luck outside of the truly top, top talents, I’m not too concerned because pick swaps still guarantee that we will be selecting someone on draft night.      

Erik Olsgaard: B+

I have mixed emotions about this trade. On the one hand, I really enjoyed watching the Clippers in their current form dismantle the Blazers and Spurs in absurdly dominant fashion. Those games felt like the direct result of a full training camp and a new pace-pushing, defense-minded identity. Even though it wasn’t perfect, in stretches I could see the potential of that iteration of the Clippers, and I wanted another dozen games to figure out if that potential was going to be realized. On the other hand, I really did NOT enjoy watching the Clippers look like last year’s mediocre team against the only decent team they’ve played so far: the Jazz. That game made me worried that the success against the Blazers (and subsequently the Spurs) was just fool’s gold. Even though there were bright moments, in stretches I could see the low ceiling of that iteration of the Clippers, and I wanted a change as soon as possible. 

In the end, I see this trade as an overall upgrade. By keeping Terance Mann, there are still lineups that can achieve what we saw defensively against Portland and San Antonio. And by adding James Harden, that low ceiling has vaulted into the stratosphere. Harden is the best passer the Clippers have had since Chris Paul, and when he wants to be a distributor first, he can get his teammates open better than most anyone in the league. The idea of Kawhi and PG getting open shots that they don’t have to manufacture themselves is something we’ve seen flashes of with Russell Westbrook, but something we’ll get a steady diet of with Harden. And PJ Tucker plays basketball too. 

Daniel Olinger: B+

I understand concern over what this trade might have done to the long-term outlook for the Clippers. Giving up that many picks and banking on three stars who all have ages on the wrong side of 30 doesn’t project well for what the 2028-32 Los Angeles Clippers will look like. But LAC was already looking toward a rather grim future post-Kawhi and PG prior to the James Harden trade. When the Clippers made their first midnight transaction frenzy years ago in the summer of 2019, the goal was clear — win the NBA title. Through a number of twists and turns, this Clippers team has still not done that, nor have they even reached the NBA Finals, all while entering the fifth season of this era. In trading for Harden, LAC gets one of the very passers and creators in the NBA, while still managing to keep their five best players on the current team (Kawhi, PG, Westbrook, Zubac, Mann).

Going from Nicolas Batum and Robert Covington to P.J. Tucker as the reserve forward is a definite downgrade, but peak star talent and shot creators are vital in the playoffs, and the Clippers have three of the most talented players in the NBA. This trade could come back to bite the franchise in a half-decade or so, but the Clippers shouldn’t be making decisions based on what might happen a long time from now. They need to be making moves to maximize their chances of winning a title with this current core, and trading for James Harden gave them the best chance to do that. 

Ralston Dacanay: A-

Beyond the obvious upsides that come with adding James Harden, I think it’s been understated how much the Clippers were able to minimize the risk involved in this deal. Mind you, I’ve been someone who’s believed the Clippers simply could not run it back with the same collection of vets this season and expect to be title contenders. And while starting Terance Mann and ousting Marcus Morris Sr. from the rotation so far was actually looking quite pleasant, to me, there’s just no denying that the Clippers would have a much higher ceiling to work with Harden in the mix.

Now, after weeks and weeks of hearing, “There’s no way the Clippers could get Harden without giving up Mann or their own two unprotected first-round picks.” It actually happened! LAC finally got its consolidation trade sending Morris Sr. out the door, and they didn’t have to trade Terance or their 2030 first. This trade would’ve been perfect if the Clippers somehow could’ve kept Robert Covington or gotten this done before training camp, but realistically speaking, I think this is about as good of a value as it gets. Sure, trading for a guy who has historically flamed out of the playoffs, torched his last two stops on the way out, and is set to be an unrestricted free agent means this isn’t an automatic home run (hence, why I respected the Clippers for reportedly making a strong run at Jrue Holiday.) But, considering how much of a “last dance” season this year was already shaping up to be for the Clips, what they possibly could’ve acquired mid-season, and the relatively light package that they ended up having to give up, I think it makes a lot of sense.

I will be interested to see what type of role PJ Tucker plays, how the pieces fit, and what the Clippers end up doing with their two open roster spots. But, for now, I do think LAC can potentially get to a level that legitimately puts them in the conversation for the crown again. Best of luck to RoCo, Nicolas Batum, KJ Martin, and Morris Sr.!

Lucas Hann: B+

I suppose I’ll sound spoiled and that no deal is ever perfect, but looking past the obvious monumental win of landing James Harden while also keeping Terance Mann, something many of us weren’t sure was possible, there’s just enough to not like here to keep me away from an A.  The first is the positional combination of guys LAC lost here–four forwards (one of whom was beyond contributing).  PJ Tucker is going to be less productive as a Clipper than Nico Batum or Robert Covington would have been in a very similar role, and the extra year on his contract will make it harder to make further adjustments to the roster this year.  Keeping the 2030 first round pick is huge, but giving up the 2029 swap (instead of having the obligations end in 2028) will stretch the capabilities of this aging big three beyond reasonable expectations.  In the aggregate, though, this is a massive win for the Clippers, who not only get the clear 3rd best player we’ve asked for for years, but a legitimate third star who produced at an All-NBA level last season.

Shapan Debnath: B+

I badly want to give this an A-, but as James Harden is a known diva, I’ll keep it in check a bit. What has been glaring to me is that, while LAC has repeatedly out-efforted teams early this season to run and get transition baskets off of turnovers, it’s a recipe that has shown to not last come postseason. As much as his recent quote will be mangled, LAC *does* need a system, as their offense through Russell Westbrook, particularly in crunch time, has become far too predictable. Having a player that’s not only willing but efficiently able to run offense will do a world of good to this team, and LAC has decided to put their chips in, early, into the tail end of Kawhi Leonard’s prime, with a guard specifically designed to make his life more easy and sustainable this season and next. That is the priority of the rest of this era.

Robert Flom: A-

The Clippers are trying to win a championship this season. Whether they should still be trying to do so with this core is another question, but that’s the goal. In that context, the James Harden trade is a massive win for the Clippers. Nic Batum and Robert Covington are nice role players, and KJ Martin is an interesting young guy, but James Harden was a near All-NBA caliber player last year who offers shooting, playmaking, and creation the Clippers need. He’s a regular season floor raiser who, despite major issues in the playoffs, is also the caliber of player who will boost their postseason ceiling as well. Giving up the 2028 pick and swaps in 2027 and 2029 (that top 3 protection is a bonus though) along with those players is legitimately a lot – but keeping the 2030 1^st, Terance Mann, and Bones Hyland makes this a very, very fair deal. Are the Clippers favored against Denver or Boston? No. But they’re more likely to stay out of the play-in tournament and grab homecourt advantage now, and have increased firepower to match those top teams. A needed deal if the goal is still a championship.

David Mendez-Yapkowitz: B

There’s something to be said for building and maintaining a culture and chemistry. Nico Batum, Robert Covington, and yes, even Marcus Morris contributed to that over the past couple of seasons for the Clippers. But it’s not hard to see why the Clippers made this trade for James Harden. The roster prior to the deal was just not championship caliber. That’s not so much a knock on the Clippers, more so like the state of the Western Conference where you have the Denver Nuggets…and everyone else. The Clippers needed to make a trade if they wanted any sort of chance at seriously competing with the Nuggets, and when you can add a third star like James Harden, you make that deal 99 percent of the time. This team is trying to maximize their championship window with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George as much as possible. Not only is Harden an elite scoring option, he’s been a very good playmaker as well. Now it’s just up Tyronn Lue to figure out how to make this all work.

Kenneth Armstrong: B+

This trade is a ceiling raiser, but it could very well lower the floor dramatically. Specifically, Harden provides scoring fire-power and playmaking. But the Clippers’ roster is now badly unbalanced (again): too many guards. I also fear that Russell Westrbook will have to go through yet another identity crisis—something that I thought was settled coming into this year. Hopefully the Clippers can find a way to bring in another “4” in the Covington/ Batum mold. Even with PJ Tucker coming back in the trade, I am afraid we’ll be looking at another season of small-ball lineups that cannot guard or share the ball effectively. 

Cole Huff: A-

I’ll be the gutsy one here. You bring in the third star that us fans have felt was needed for the better part of the past season and a half, 213 + Ty get the pick and roll/playmaking point guard they’ve practically begged for, and you retain all of your young (and good) role players for depth and potential trade deadline purposes. The fit with James and Russ on the court together stops me from making this an A, and so do the departures of Nico Batum and Robert Covington for a lesser version of them in PJ Tucker. But at the end of the day the front office moved all their chips to the center for a make-or-break season. I can’t be mad at that.

213 Hoops Roundtable: The James Harden Trade
Robert Flom

Things might be starting to get spicy in Philadelphia. James Harden, who requested a trade to the Clippers early in the summer, did not show up to practice today after being a “good soldier” last week. Then, about an hour ago, Sam Amick of the Athletic published an article detailing updates in the trade talks between the Clippers and Sixers.

Per Amick, the Sixers are now willing to accept an offer of an unprotected first round pick, a swap, Terance Mann, and matching salaries for Harden. This is kind of a big deal, as their previous asking price was Mann, two first round picks, and a swap. A whole first round pick has been taken off the board here.

The Clippers, however, are not budging on Mann, and refuse to put him in the deal. On one hand, I can respect the negotiating and the desire to keep Mann, who is good, cost-controlled, and fills a huge need for the Clippers. On the other, Terance is not young anymore. At 27, he probably is who he is – a very good role player who could be the 5th starter on a great team. Trading Mann, expirings, and picks for Harden would be a huge blow to future assets, and losing Mann would severely deplete the Clippers’ athleticism and perimeter defense. I get it. If Mann is really holding up the trade for a guy who averaged 21 and 11 with 61% True Shooting last year, the Clippers had better play him this year.

A last interesting note from the piece is that Amick is reporting the Sixers already have deals lined up with other teams to get at least one first round pick for Mann. This makes sense – the Sixers want assets to trade for a star, and also a clean cap next summer – and explains why they no longer need the second first from the Clippers if they’re getting another for Mann.

All in all, while I understand the Clippers’ hesitancy, ultimately, I think I would do a deal with Mann, Marcus, RoCo/Nico, 2028 first, and a 2027 swap for Harden. That still keeps some future assets (2029 and 2030 picks), young guys (Bones, KJ Martin, Kobe Brown), and veteran depth while landing a true third star who was a fringe All-NBA caliber player last year.

The Clippers’ hesitation for this trade could be for any number of reasons. Maybe they refuse to raise their offer with none out there. Maybe they think Harden isn’t as good as numbers suggest. Maybe they have no interest in paying him next summer. Or maybe, as some have speculated, they have given up on the Kawhi-PG core winning a championship, and are not throwing any real assets away to raise their odds slightly.

Who knows. But Morey, for all of his irritation and frustration, has conceded ground, and if the Clippers do ever decide to make Mann available, it seems like a deal for Harden can get done.

New Updates on James Harden to Clippers Saga
Robert Flom