Clippers’ James Harden re-signs for reported two years, $70 million

James Harden made his return to the Clippers official Wednesday, signing what is reportedly a two-year, $70 million deal with a player option the second year.

Harden’s signing was one of four the Clippers announced Wednesday. They also signed Nicolas Batum, Kevin Porter Jr. and Derrick Jones Jr.

The future Hall of Fame point guard came to the Clippers in a late-night trade with the Philadelphia 76ers four games into last season and after a rocky start, settled into the starting lineup and averaged 16.6 points, 8.5 assists and 5.1 rebounds in 34.3 minutes. While not the playmaker he was at his peak, Harden, 34, remains one of the league’s best ball-handlers.

“James was everything we hoped he would be when we acquired him from Philadelphia last season: a proven scorer, gifted passer and natural facilitator who protects the ball and makes the game easier for others,” team President of Operations Lawrence Frank said in a statement. “James cares about his craft and works tirelessly at it. We were better for his presence last year and we will be again.”

With the loss of Paul George, Harden, along with Kawhi Leonard, will be looked to for leadership on a newly constructed roster.

The 6-foot-5 Harden appeared in 72 games and posted the most triple-doubles in a single season for the Clippers since the 2000-01 campaign and became the first player in franchise history to reach the 25,000-point milestone in a Clippers uniform.

He also is one of four players in NBA history with at least 25,000 points, 7,000 assists and 6,000 rebounds and has averaged at least 20 points, five rebounds and 10 assists in three or more seasons.

The only other players to do so more than once are Russell Westbrook (five) and Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson (five) and Magic Johnson (three).

The Clippers also brought back fan favorite Batum, who returned to L.A. after being shipped to Philadelphia last season in the Harden trade. He reportedly received a two-year, $9.6 million contract.

The 6-8 power forward played three seasons with the Clippers, averaging 7.5 points and 3.4 rebounds. In 57 (38 starts) games with the Sixers last season, Batum posted 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds a game.

The French Olympian gives the Clippers depth in the front court.

“It’s hard to find a better connector with a higher IQ than Nico,” Frank said. “We didn’t want to lose him last year and we felt his absence. He plays the game the right way, which our fans appreciate, and so do we. We’re thrilled to welcome back the battalion.”

Clippers fans have coined themselves “Batum’s Battalion”, an army of sorts who are ardent supporters of the versatile wing.

Porter Jr., a talented guard whose off-court troubles caused him to head overseas last season, signed a two-year deal, the team also announced.

Porter Jr. played last season in Greece, averaging 22 points, after being released by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2022 following a domestic violence incident involving his girlfriend. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and harassment charges, avoiding any jail time.

Jones Jr., who averaged a career-high 8.6 points, 3.3 points and 1.0 assists in 76 games for the NBA runner-up Dallas Mavericks, is considered a versatile defender who can attack the rim.

“As we experienced firsthand in the playoffs against Dallas, he can change a game with his length and activity. We are going to have a tenacious defense this season and DJJ will be a huge part of it,” Frank said.