James Harden would sign two years, $ 81.5 million agreements with clippers

The leaders of Clippers were serious when they said they did not exacerbate on James Harden’s future with the franchise after a delicate post -stal performance.

Harden refused his option as a player for $ 36 million with the Clippers on Sunday and intends to sign a two -year agreement with the team for $ 81.5 million, championship sources with knowledge of the unauthorized agreement to publicly discuss it. The second year is a player option and is partially guaranteed.

Announcement

The agreement gave an increase in harden and clipper some salary flexibility in the future.

“It is our priority n. 1,” Lawrence Frank, president of the Clippers basketball operations, told Media, after the first round of the draft on Wednesday evening. “We are super confident that James is here and is here for a long time. He has an option as a player, so he can opt … or he can give up and we hope to be able to make an agreement that makes sense for both sides. But James, as you guys you know, has been phenomenal and we hope to continue seeing his game.”

To find out more: James Harden still has the support of the front office of Clippers despite the lugubrious playoffs

Although the clippers have drawn up a center in the first round with the 30th choice, obtaining Yanic Konan Niederhauser of Penn State, Frank said that his team “will probably have at least three centers”.

Announcement

Clippers can use their medium -level exception not taxpayer which is expected to be about $ 14.1 million on a player or two, and perhaps also find a center.

Harden played in 79 games last season, played the total fifth minute in the NBA (2,789), was fifth in the championship in assist (8.7), on average 22.8 points per game and was the only player with 1,500 points, 500 assists, 100 stolen and 50 blocks.

Harden, however, fought during the post -station, with an average of 18.7 points per game in the series that the clippers lost against the Nugget. He scored only 33 points combined in the Games 4, 5 and 7 losses, including seven points in the game 7.

Harden turns 36 in August and has not been made available to speak with the media during traditional output interviews that each team generally hosts to close a season.

Announcement

“When James was this year without Kawhi, with normal [Powell] AND [Ivica] Zubac and the rest of the group, we really asked James to do a lot, “Frank said shortly after the clippers were eliminated by the playoffs.

“And at his age to deliver what he did …[He played in] 79 games, and does more and more times. We have a profound appreciation for that type of availability and to be able to deliver and do what he did … we have a great level of appreciation for what James has done this year. “

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the Los Angeles sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.