Predicting when every member of Clippers' starting 5 might leave
By Will Eudy
James Harden
Joining the Clippers last fall, James Harden's fit with this team was heavily criticized from the outset. Before the trade was even announced and rumors were swirling, there was a large conglomeration of fans in LA that were adamant about never seeing Harden in a Clipper jersey. He was a past enemy of the franchise as a former member of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets, and a lot of die-hard fans were skeptical at best.
Not to mention, James has had some very real meltdowns in the playoffs over the years. At his best, Harden was one of the best isolation players of all-time, but there were numerous occasions where, even at his peak, he shrunk when it mattered most. But in coming to LA, James dispelled many of those notions are largely proved to be a good fit with this team, being willing to adapt to the role that would help elevate the team most.
Harden earned $35.6 million this past season, and he will be a free agent this summer, in less than two weeks' time. It would make sense that he might try to re-sign and retain some consistency rather than bouncing around the league even more, especially considering he seemed content in Los Angeles this past season. My prediction is he signs a two-year extension, before departing in 2026.