The Los Angeles Clippers have agreed to increase James Harden’s contract by one other two seasons.
Harden’s new deal is price $81.5 million, with the second 12 months a participant choice and partially assured, in accordance with Shams Charania.
This represents an annual pay rise of round $7m, which the 35-year-old totally deserves after main the group to a 50-32 document within the loaded Western Convention.
The Clippers now have a number of choices for his or her subsequent transfer on this offseason, and one would contain weakening their rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Clippers have 12 gamers beneath contract for the 2025-26 season, together with recently-drafted rookies Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Kobe Sanders, leaving them with three roster spots.
And regardless of Harden’s profitable contract extension, Steve Ballmer’s group nonetheless has cash to play with within the upcoming free company interval.
The Clippers are at the moment $22.4m beneath the dreaded first apron, and might open up one other $4.8m in cap area by waiving Drew Eubanks.
This entitles them to the total $14.1m mid-level exemption, which may very well be spent on many various free brokers within the coming weeks.
Maybe the participant who would assist the Clippers probably the most may additionally arrive with the bonus of weakening the Lakers.
Dorian Finney-Smith rejected his $15.4 million participant choice on Sunday, that means he’ll quickly change into an unrestricted free agent.
This doesn’t essentially imply that he’ll go away the LA Lakers, but it surely does enable different groups to barter with him and his representatives.
Whereas $15.4m appears a good worth for DFS, he in all probability rejected the choice in favor of a longer-term contract.
So, the Clippers ought to now provide Finney-Smith their $14.1m exception on a multi-year deal in hopes of poaching him from the Lakers.
The 32-year-old is a stable three-point shooter and high quality defender, who would complement Kawhi Leonard and James Harden properly.
He may both change Derrick Jones Jr. within the beginning lineup or present some much-needed measurement and power off the bench.
