James Harden signs a new two-year, $81.5 million contract with the Clippers

James Harden signed a new two-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers worth $81.5 million on Sunday, ESPN reported, declining his player option.

The guard, an 11-time All-Star, will rejoin the Clippers, where he has played for the last two seasons. The new agreement allegedly includes partial guarantees and a player option for the second year.

In 2024–25, Harden, who turns 36 before the new season starts, averaged 22.8 points, 8.7 assists, and 5.7 rebounds in 79 games (all starts) for Los Angeles, though his 3-point shooting somewhat decreased from 38.1 percent to 35.2 percent.

This was his first All-NBA selection since 2019–20. He was named to the All-NBA third team.

In addition, Harden averaged 18.7 points, 9.1 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game in the Clippers’ seven-game preliminary round playoff loss to the Denver Nuggets. Despite being the fifth seed in the Western Conference, the Clippers will aim for improved postseason performance with Harden at the core of their strategy.