Harden ushers in a renewal decision this summer ESPN: 79 million is the most suitable for 2 years

Harden this season, who was selected for the All-Star for the first time since 2020 and was nominated for the NBA All-Squad, meaning he deserves to seek a multi-year contract with a pay rise. Harden and the Speedboat will face this difficult problem this offseason.

Harden's playing time ranks fifth among all players this season, playing in 79 regular season games, setting a new high since the 2016-17 season. This makes him the only player this season to reach 1500 points, 500 assists, 100 steals and 50 blocks. Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations at the Clippers, said after the season: "Because James has the player option, it would be irresponsible if I don't make a contingency plan for it. But my original intention is that if he doesn't execute the option, we can reach an agreement that is good for both James and the Clippers."

Considering the few teams with abundant capacities, Harden's age (he just turned 37), and the importance of financial flexibility in the 2026 offseason, the Clippers can be more creative in the design of the contract next time. Max, a famous ESPN salary expert, recently wrote an article about Harden's possible renewal. He believes that Harden is likely to sign a two-year contract worth $79 million with the Speedboat. Full guarantee in the first year, 10 million guarantee in the second year, 25 million guarantee in the Western Conference Finals, and 41 million guarantee in the finals. The first year of the contract's $38 million salary is improved over his $36.3 million player option, while still giving the team a flexibility to use the full $14.1 million non-luxury tax middle class special case. If the Speedboats enter the division finals for the first time since 2021, the contract will not only allow Harden to gain financial benefits, but also benefit the team.