The free agency market is on, and the American media The Athletic Shams reported that Harden signed a two-year, $70 million contract with the Clippers. This is a 1+1 fully guaranteed contract with a final year option for the player. An annual salary of 35 million is actually not bad for Harden, and he has taken the initiative. Harden can wait and see how the Clippers play next season. If Leonard still can't stay healthy, Harden could jump out of the player option and become a full free agent and can remain flexible.
If no team is willing to give 35 million, Harden could also exercise a player option for the Clippers to trade him. Overall, a two-year contract is a good option for Harden. After these two years, if the strength declines too much, you can also choose a middle-class contract to join a championship team in your later years. Of course, Harden needs to thank George for leaving, otherwise this contract would be troublesome. If George stays and gets an annual salary of 50 million, the Clippers will break through the first tyrant line (hard cap) of 178 million, and the second tyrant line will be $180 million, and Harden is estimated to only get an annual salary of about 25 million.
After George's departure, the Clippers also signed Harden as soon as possible. And the reinforcements continued, with the Clippers signing the Rockets' former young superstar Kevin Porter Jr. to a two-year contract. Shams also reported that free agent Derrick Jones Jr. also signed with the Clippers for 3 years and 30 million. Porter Jr. played well with the Rockets, averaging nearly 20 points per game. In fact, he is more inclined to point guard, but the Rockets did not have a point guard to force him to play the No. 1 position.
Porter Jr. has several strengths that are a good fit for Harden, as he shoots over 40 percent from three-point range. At 1.98 meters tall, he is a little older than Jalen Green. But in terms of strength, Porter Jr. is stronger than Jalen Green. If there is no domestic violence, Porter Jr. can still be like a fish in water in the rocket. And Porter Jr. is a fan of Harden, and next to a point guard who can feed the ball, Porter Jr. can play as much as he wants. His offensive power is undoubted, and in April 21, Porter Jr. led the team to defeat the Bucks, scoring 50 points, 5 rebounds and 11 assists, surpassing James to become the youngest Mr. 50 points.
As long as Porter Jr. doesn't mess with things and plays well, he will be the most effective helper next to Leonard and Harden. And the Clippers have strengthened the wings, and the addition of Jones can contribute to the Clippers on the defensive end. Jones played in 76 games for the Mavericks last season, averaging 8.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1 assist per game, and in 22 games in the playoffs, he averaged 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1 block per game. The Mavericks may have thought Thompson would be a better fit to give up Jones.
It is worth mentioning that after taking Porter Jr. and Jones, the Clippers' salary space reached $171.3 million, and they ate Jones with the full middle class. However, it is not spent, and there are still $2.8 million in exceptions, and a biennial exception of $4.7 million can be continued to be strengthened. But the Clippers are certainly not the only ones, they are also actively trading Tucker and Westbrook. The Clippers are trying to figure out how to get DeRozan. The Clippers chips are enough to trade, and if Powell + Tucker + Westbrook + Hyland + Coffey are packaged together, the Clippers can even match LaVine's contract.
In the latest trade simulator, the Clippers sold Powell, Tucker, Westbrook and Coffey to pick up two first-round picks offered by LaVine and the Bulls. Of course, the Clippers can't trade LaVine, but it just proves that getting DeRozan is more than enough. And DeRozan has always been the Clippers' favorite player and George's replacement. DeRozan and Harden are small, and then both are Los Angeles people. DeRozan has long wanted to play for his hometown team, and now is a good opportunity. The space that the Clippers can operate is still quite large, and it is nothing to lose George, 212 million in 4 years is indeed too expensive.