James Harden is planning to return to the LA Clippers on a two-year, $70 million deal, a league source told ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk on Sunday.
Harden, who will turn 35 in August, averaged 16.6 points and 8.5 assists in 72 games for the Clippers this past season. He landed in Los Angeles after finally getting traded early in the regular season due to a falling out with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey over Harden's contractual situation last summer.
It was Harden's third change-of-address in under three calendar years after his long-term run with the Houston Rockets, where he became an MVP and helped revolutionize the way offense is played in the NBA.
While no longer posting big scoring numbers, Harden showed this past season that he remains a strong pick-and-roll operator and good 3-point shooter while accepting a smaller offensive role playing alongside Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
Harden still ranked second in the NBA in points per isolation last season, a nod to his days as a 30-point scorer, but he also attempted 153 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers -- his most since 2017-18 -- as he spent more time off the ball in L.A. His 72 games played were his most in a season since 2018-19.
ESPN Stats & Information and Tim Bontemps contributed to this report.
