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James Harden's stint with the LA Clippers seems to be coming to an end ahead of the February 5 trade deadline. The Clippers are engaged in a possible deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland. But does Harden have a no-trade clause?
Does Harden have a no-trade clause in his contract?
As per ESPN's Bobby Marks, Harden does not have a no-trade clause in his contract since he penned a two-year, $81.5 million contract in the offseason. He has a player option for next season, which provides him the power to decline any trade.
"Harden is under contract for $39.2M and $42.3M ($13.3M GTY). The second season is a player option. Because the contract is technically for one season, Harden has veto power on any trade. He also has a 15% Trade Bonus that is currently valued at $2.36M," Marks tweeted.
James Harden to leave LA Clippers?
Bobby Marks' comments came after ESPN's Shams Charania claimed that the LA Clippers and James Harden are involved in potential breakup negotiations. Harden is going through a great season for the Clippers, which has led the franchise to turn around a bad start to the campaign.
But things started to change ahead of the deadline, with Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated saying that the Cleveland Cavaliers are keen on swapping Darius Garland for Harden.
"The deal would represent an exchange of former All-Star guards," Mannix wrote. "Harden, 36, has been a workhorse for the Clippers this season, averaging 25.4 points in 35.4 minutes per game. Garland, 26, has battled injuries this season. He missed Cleveland’s first seven games recovering from offseason toe surgery and has been sidelined since Jan. 16 with an ankle sprain."
Garland is averaging 18.0 points per game, but injuries have halted him since March last year. Harden was placed as "out" in the Clippers game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday because of personal reasons.
Why does the Clippers want to trade James Harden?
As per ClutchPoints' Tomer Azarly, the key reason for the LA Clippers' decision to trade James Harden ties to their plans for the summer of 2027. The Clippers wish to free up as much money as possible to go after the big names entering that year's free agency.
Reportedly, Harden wanted to pen a two-year, $80 million extension this season, but the Clippers are not keen on having big contracts in 2027. At 37 years old, the former MVP is aiming for one huge final payday.
Some of the possible free agents in 2027 consist of Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry, Anthony Davis, Donovan Mitchell and more.
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