Former NBA MVP Will Be A Free Agent This Summer

James Harden (Los Angeles Clippers) will be a free agent this summer.

May 14, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) gestures with the KIA NBA MVP trophy to his teammates before game five against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

James Harden is coming off his first year playing for the Los Angeles Clippers.

The 2018 MVP is no longer a superstar, but he is still an above-average guard who averaged 16.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 1.1 steals per contest while shooting 42.8% from the field and 38.1% from the three-point range in 72 games.

May 1, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) reacts against the Dallas Mavericks in the second half during game five of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

This summer, Harden will be a free agent who is available to sign with any team in the NBA.

At 34, his free agency will be intriguing, as the Clippers will likely try to keep him, but the salary (and years) are going to be a topic of discussion.

May 3, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) drives to the basket past Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the first quarter during game six of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Harden was the third pick in the 2009 NBA Draft out of Arizona State.

In addition to the Clippers, he has also spent time with the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers over 15 years in the league.

😳 JAMES. HARDEN. 😳#Rockets pic.twitter.com/JCphxLzP18

— NBA (@NBA) March 1, 2018

The best tenure of his career came with the Rockets, and he has career averages of 24.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.5 steals per contest while shooting 44.1% from the field and 36.4% from the three-point range in 1,072 regular season games.

He's never won an NBA Championship, but has appeared in an astonishing 166 NBA playoff games (123 starts).

Mar 3, 2019; Boston, MA, USA; Houston Rockets guard Chris Paul (3) talks with guard James Harden (13) during the first quarter against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports / Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

As for the Clippers, they are coming off a year where they were the fourth seed in the Western Conference with a 51-31 record.

They lost to Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in the first round (in six games).