Harden renewed his contract for 2 years at $8,150,000: Leonard also expressed his attitude!

On June 30, 2024, less than an hour after the final deadline for players to choose whether to execute the player option (6 a.m.), Clippers core point guard James Harden finally made a decision! According to a well-known journalist Shams, Harden's team carefully considered and chose to give up the option of executing next season's player option and instead signed a two-year contract renewal with the Clippers with a total value of $81.5 million. It is reported that this contract will still retain player options in the second year and includes some guarantee terms. For Harden, this contract extension not only represents his close connection with the Clippers' future, but also reflects his determination to continue to pursue the championship together with Leonard. At the same time, this contract also demonstrates the Clippers management's high recognition of Harden's performance in leading the team last season. For Harden personally, after reproving his abilities, he finally received the reward he deserved. In addition, through Harden's contract renewal, the Clippers not only maintained the team's flexibility in future signings, but also successfully obtained a full middle-class special case of $14.1 million, which will provide them with more operational space in the upcoming free market.

In the 2024-25 season, Harden led the Clippers, which are not the most luxurious lineup, and showed the potential of the dark horse. If we don't look at this season in an hindsight, no one would believe that the Clippers will eventually enter the playoffs with fifth place in the West (50 wins and 32 losses), especially in the two months when Leonard was injured and still had to find form after returning, the team's pressure was almost entirely on Harden's shoulders! He made 79 appearances in the regular season, averaging 35.3 minutes per game, handing out comprehensive statistics of 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 4.3 turnovers, 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks. Harden shot 41.0% from the field, 35.2% from three-pointers, and 87.4% from free throws. During this process, he scored 50 points per game, 40 points and 12 times, setting a number of NBA history records and achieving his goal last offseason - being selected as the All-Star. The biggest change in Harden is his defense, especially in personal defense, which has elevated to a new level in his career and infected the entire team. This is also the key to the Clippers being able to stay at the forefront of the Western Conference for a long time. Although Harden's shooting percentage is not top, he still ranks first in the league in singles scoring and is still one of the most one-on-one tough-solving stars in the league. As for the regular season, Harden's performance is impeccable, but his shortcomings are also very obvious - in the tough battles in the playoffs, he is often vulnerable to pressure, resulting in large fluctuations in his performance. Especially in the first round series with the Nuggets, Harden seemed to have lost himself in subsequent games since the G4 clashed with Aaron Gordon in the first half. In the key battle of Tianwang Mountain and the life-and-death battle between G7, Harden handed in sluggish data of 3 of 9 and 11 points in 8 and 7 points in 8, which seemed extremely disappointing. As a veteran who is over 35 years old and has been fighting in the league for 16 years, Harden should have adapted to various pressures on the court, but it seems that whenever the critical moment, the pressure will always affect his performance. For Harden, the only hope is to complete a self-breakthrough next season, especially in key games to show the level that the super giant should have! At the same time, Leonard also expressed his attitude towards next season.

If the Clippers want to truly achieve success, Harden alone is not enough. Leonard must show his due leadership and sense of responsibility. After being eliminated by the Nuggets, Leonard expressed his determination with his actions. According to media reports, after being eliminated in the first round of the Clippers' playoffs, Leonard did not choose to recuperate like in the past, but insisted on training until the end of June, trying to simulate the physical exhaustion brought by the finals. Since joining the Clippers, Leonard has experienced countless "load management", which has gradually made his body unable to adapt to the high intensity of NBA games, and often only has to play for half a season before suffering injuries. Excessive rest is not necessarily a good thing for professional athletes, because maintaining a certain level of game intensity can deal with long-term season consumption. Therefore, Leonard chose to directly simulate the Finals' game mode, regardless of the effect, at least showed his attitude towards facing challenges, which is undoubtedly a positive signal for the Clippers and Harden.

In addition, Zubac has gradually grown into a top center in the league. On the defensive end, he is not inferior to Jokic in 1v1; on the offensive end, he can not only eat cakes, but also play singles with his footsteps in the inside. The stable small throws from left and right hands are even more amazing. As long as Leonard stays healthy and can attend stably, and Harden can overcome psychological barriers in the playoffs, the Clippers will be a highly competitive team. So, what do you think about Harden's contract renewal of the Clippers and the future of this team? Welcome to leave a message for discussion!