James Harden's Clippers Future Has NBA Teams on Alert

By declanharrisShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

With December 15 now in the rear-view mirror, most players in the NBA have been made available to trade, meaning front offices around the league have the opportunity to reach out to one another to make a deal.

Given that this encompasses the majority of players, there are several names to keep an eye on ahead of the trade deadline in early February, including Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden, who has started to garner the attention of various teams around the association, according to a recent report by The Stein Line.

According to the report, Harden’s availability has been looked at by several teams around the league due to his aspirations and the lackluster performance by the Los Angeles Clippers thus far this season.

“One well-placed Western Conference observer shared this week that James Harden's status going forward is being monitored closely by various teams given his career goals at age 36 and the Clippers' dim prospects for digging out of their current hole,” Stein stated on Thursday afternoon.

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While the Clippers as a team are struggling, posting a 6-20 record, Harden himself has been having quite a season, averaging 26 points, 8.1 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game.

As Harden is the second-highest-paid player by the Clippers, trailing Kawhi Leonard, who is the team’s top earner, Stein points out that the 36-year-old's contract wouldn’t be the easiest thing to move, but it isn’t exactly impossible either.

“Harden's contract is not easily absorbed,” Stein states. “But it also shouldn't be classified as impossible to move, either, at $39.1 million this season and with a $42.3 million player option next season.”

While there isn’t anything concrete regarding interest pertaining to Harden, the report cites that the Minnesota Timberwolves have been on the market for someone to pull the strings on the offensive end of the court.

“Minnesota, just to name one team, is known to be scouring the league at present for a true playmaker,” Stein reports.

If any move is to happen, it would bring to an end a three-season stint in the City of Angels for Harden, who made the move there after being traded away by the Philadelphia 76ers in October 2023.

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