Is James Harden Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Clippers vs. Suns)

The latest injury update for Los Angeles Clippers star guard James Harden on Thursday against the Phoenix Suns.

LA Clippers guard James Harden. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Clippers will be without star guard James Harden on Thursday night against the Phoenix Suns, as the former league MVP has been ruled out due to personal reasons.

Harden isn't the only star player sidelined for the Clippers, as Kawhi Leonard (ankle) has also been ruled out for this matchup.

James Harden (personal) ruled out for Thursday.

— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) November 5, 2025

As a result, the Clippers are set as road underdogs in the latest odds for this matchup. Los Angeles has yet to win a game on the road this season (0-2), and it's posted a road net rating of -21.1 -- the worst mark in the NBA -- in the process.

Harden was an All-NBA selection last season, and he's gotten off to a great start in the 2025-26 campaign, averaging 23.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from 3-point range.

With Harden out, the Clippers will likely turn to Bradley Beal, Kris Dunn and Chris Paul to handle the majority of their ball-handling duties on Thursday.

Here's a look at my favorite prop bet for the Clippers in this Western Conference matchup.

Best Clippers Prop Bet vs. Suns With James Harden Out

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Earlier today, I shared in SI Betting's best NBA props column why Beal could take a step forward with Harden and Leonard out:

Bradley Beal OVER 14.5 Points (-116)

It’s been a slow start to Bradley Beal’s Clippers tenure, but he has a revenge game on Thursday against the Suns, who waived and stretched his contract this past offseason.

Beal is averaging just 8.0 points in 20.3 minutes per game to open the season, but he should be in line for an expanded role in his fifth appearance of the 2025-26 campaign. 

With both Harden and Leonard out, Beal could end up operating as the No. 1 option in this Clippers offense. He’s coming off his best scoring game of the season, dropping 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting in a loss to the Miami Heat.

I’d expect Beal’s shot diet to increase on Thursday, as the Clippers don’t really have an offensive hub outside of him and veteran point guard Chris Paul that can run the offense tonight.

Let’s not forget, Beal still averaged 17.0 points per game while shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from 3 last season. He can take a step forward as a scorer as long as the minutes are there for him to do so.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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