James Harden will decline the player option on the final season of his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers but intends to re-sign with the team on a new two-year contract, ESPN is reporting.

James Harden, 35, and LeBron James, 40, both have player options for the 2025-26 season, putting their futures with their respective teams in doubt.

In 2024, Harden signed a two-year $70 million deal with the Clippers. The NBA free agent period is virtually wide open, with James and Harden running the show.

James Harden is staying in Los Angeles. The Clippers’ star is turning down his player option – worth $36.3 million – to sign a new two-year, $81.5 million contract with the organization ...

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There’s not a lot of free agent money out there. There’s not a lot of big-name free agents. The two biggest are James Harden and LeBron James. Both of them I think are staying with their teams.

Harden had notable performances during the season, finishing his 2024-25 campaign with 22.8 points, 8.7 assists, and 5.8 rebounds, but the Clippers failed to make a deep postseason run.