Harden s 81.5 million details in two years: Keep the full middle class for the Clippers and no maximum salary after leaving the Rockets

On June 30, according to relevant reports from ESPN, basketball star James Harden has reached a new contract renewal agreement with the Los Angeles Clippers. The contract lasts for two years and has a total amount of $81.5 million, with the second year including player options. Since Harden was restricted by the 38-year-old clause in the process of breaking out of the contract, his renewal time with the Clippers was limited to two years.

well-known reporter Shams revealed on Twitter that Harden's contract is fully guaranteed in the first year, while the second year is a player option and part of the guarantee. So while Harden accepted only a slight salary increase, he retained a $14.1 million non-luxury tax full middle class clause for the Clippers. In addition, Harden's contract renewal time is consistent with the two-year contract of Leonard, another core player of the team, which shows that Harden and Leonard work together and are committed to improving the combat effectiveness of the Clippers. Regarding Harden's contract details, the salary for the 2025-26 season is $39.18 million, while for the 2026-27 season is $42.31 million (including player options, which are partly guaranteed). Previously, Harden jumped out of the contract with a $36.3 million player option, which means he only achieved more than $2 million in the renewal process.

In the past season, Harden performed well with the Clippers, averaging 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game, playing in 79 games, which is also his most appearance record since the 2016-2017 season. In addition, he ranked fifth in the league midfield, fully demonstrating his worth as a top player. It is worth mentioning that in the past season, Harden was the only player to achieve four achievements in 1,500 points, 500 assists, 100 steals and 50 blocks, demonstrating his comprehensive ability on both offense and defense.

Los Angeles reporter Bird Turner pointed out in the relevant report that although Harden has received a moderate salary increase, the Clippers can still maintain the flexibility of their salary space and provide more options for future team operations.

Harden has never signed an additional maximum salary agreement since 2017 to 2021 after signing a four-year max contract with the Houston Rockets with a total of $171 million. Subsequently, his contract for the 2022-2023 season was $68.64 million in two years, while his contract for the 2024-2025 season was $70 million in two years. In the end, his contract signed in the 2025-2026 season reached a high salary of $81.5 million in two years.