James Harden nears Los Angeles Clippers deal before NBA trade deadline: reports

James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers are negotiating a deal that can be reached prior to the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, according to various international media outlets on Monday.

According to the media reports, one of the teams that has been keen on purchasing Harden is the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 36-year-old Harden has great power in any decision to be made since he is under contract just this season.

His two-year, $81.5million contract has a second-year player option that is not fully guaranteed, giving him veto power over a trade.

Harden missed Clippers games on Sunday at Phoenix and on Monday against Philadelphia because of personal reasons. Prior to the game on Monday, head coach Tyronn Lue mentioned that Harden was at home in Phoenix.

Harden has also been instrumental in enabling the Clippers to recover since the start of the season, despite starting with a 6-21 record.

He has recently informed international media that he was blessed to play in his homecity of Los Angeles and that he thought the team could make the entire way back after initially struggling in the early years.

In 2023, the Clippers purchased Harden on a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers to go together with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

It is pertinent to mention that George subsequently became a free agent in the summer of 2024 out of Los Angeles.