The Clippers are now 4-7 since trading for Harden, or 0-1 in his “ready” state.
Memes aside, he was okay this game, but okay isn’t good enough when you’re with a fully healthy Clippers vs a Reggie Jackson-led Nuggets.
Harden isn’t exactly playing terribly as a Clippers, but at this point in his career, it’s hard to justify an offence-first player on a team as offensively stacked as the Clippers when they’re in desperate need of some more off-ball movement.
Harden is looking to secure a max extension, we’ll have to see what kind of contract he can muster as he gets more into game shape as the season progresses.
In hindsight I feel like Morey really got Harden to tank the Nets Negotiations as a way to weaken one of the teams they might’ve had to go against in the playoffs especially with how close Harden was to going straight to the Sixers from the Rockets. I think that’s where the biggest part of the issue came from when it was time to pay Harden after he took less money. The NBA contracts always increase as your years increase except when you sign for less or a minimum. It’s hard to think of times when a someone went from a max contract to a minimum then back to a max. Most times when a person’s contract changes so much it’s because of change of team