$81 Million NBA Veteran Credited for Another Pay Cut

James Harden was once praised in the City of Brotherly Love for helping out the Philadelphia 76ers by taking a pay cut. After he spent half a season with the Sixers, Harden was expected to hit the free agency market, where he would land offers in the max range.

If Harden had signed a long-term deal with the Sixers at the time, they would’ve struggled to land some additional veteran help. His decision to take on a two-year deal allowed the Sixers to sign veterans such as PJ Tucker and Danuel House. At the time, those moves were celebrated locally.

Fast forward to the 2025 NBA offseason, and Harden is pulling a similar move for the Los Angeles Clippers. According to Clippers’ President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank, Harden took a pay cut this offseason to help the Clippers have enough space to sign at least two veterans.

Recently, LA brought on the former Washington Wizards/Phoenix Suns star, Bradley Beal.

via @Farbod_E: Lawrence Frank says that James Harden taking a pay cut is the only reason why LAC could sign Bradley Beal and Brook Lopez:

"Without James, we can't even get Bradley Beal... All James cares about is winning. He's willing to sacrifice part of his game, part of his contract."

Lawrence Frank says that James Harden taking a pay cut is the only reason why LAC could sign Bradley Beal and Brook Lopez:

"Without James, we cant even get Bradley Beal... All James cares about is winning. He's willing to sacrifice part of his game, part of his contract."
— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) July 19, 2025

Harden signed a reported two-year deal with the Clippers. He’s set to make $39.1 million for the 2025-2026 NBA season. Next summer, Harden will have a $42.3 million option on the table with the Clippers. He could become an unrestricted free agent once again by declining.

When Harden joined the Sixers in 2022 via trade, he had intentions of staying with the Sixers long-term after a short-lived stint with the Brooklyn Nets.

He spent 21 games on the court for the Sixers to wrap up the 2021-2022 regular season, and appeared in 12 playoff games for the Sixers, where he averaged 19 points, nine assists, and six rebounds.

Harden re-signed with the Sixers in 2022. He posted averages of 21 points, six rebounds, and a league-leading 11 assists per game. During the playoffs, Harden produced 20 points per game while dishing out eight assists and coming down with six rebounds.

During the 2023 offseason, Harden infamously picked up his player option with the Sixers with intentions of forcing his way out. Harden called out the team’s President of Basketball Operations, Daryl Morey, before becoming a temporary holdout at training camp.

The Sixers and the Clippers struck a deal in late October of 2023, leading Harden to his current home. He is heading into his third season with the Clippers, while the Sixers have moved on from everybody who benefited from the once-praised Harden paycut.

PJ Tucker was included in the Harden trade to LA. His relationship with the organization soured quickly, leading to a buyout during his second season with the Clippers. Tucker joined the New York Knicks last season. As for House, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons during the 2023-2024 season. The Pistons waived him, and the veteran hasn’t been picked up since.

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