James Harden Reportedly Was 'On Board' With Chris Paul's Clippers Contract in NBA FA

The Los Angeles Clippers' signing of veteran guard Chris Paul on Monday reportedly came after All-Star James Harden gave his stamp of approval.

Speaking Tuesday on the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast (beginning at the 4:40 mark), ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst said he was told Harden was "on board" with the signing.

Windhorst also noted that Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank called Paul a "reserve guard" in the press release to announce the move, making it clear that Harden will remain the unquestioned starter at point guard.

Harden has reportedly been active this offseason and a major part of some of the moves the Clippers have made to bring in veteran talent.

Last week, Windhorst reported that Harden "lobbied" for the Clippers to pursue Bradley Beal when it became clear that the Phoenix Suns buying him out was on the table.

Harden reportedly reached out to Beal to convince him to join the Clippers, and he even got in contact with Beal's agent, Mark Bartelstein, to sell him on the move as well.

He may not have needed to go to those same lengths to get Paul to sign, as Paul said Monday on the Pat McAfee Show (h/t ESPN's Shams Charania) that he wanted to play what will likely be his final NBA season close to his family in L.A.

Paul, 41, spent six seasons with the Clips from 2011 to 2017, earning five All-Star selections and five All-NBA nods. He then played his next two seasons for the Houston Rockets alongside Harden.

Together, Harden and Paul helped take the Rockets to the Western Conference Finals in 2018 where they lost 4-3 to the Golden State Warriors in heartbreaking fashion.

At the time, Paul was still one of the NBA's premier playmakers, while Harden was in the midst of a three-year run that saw him win three consecutive NBA scoring titles.

Now that Harden is on the verge of turning 36 years old and entering his 17th NBA season, however, his game has evolved.

Since leaving the Rockets, Harden has averaged at least 8.5 assists per game in five straight seasons, including 8.7 in 2024-25 to go along with 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.0 three-pointers made and 1.5 steals.

Harden was named an All-Star last season for the first time since 2021-22 and made an All-NBA team for the first time since 2019-20 as well.

There is no question that he and Kawhi Leonard are the go-to guys in Los Angeles, and that Paul is another valuable depth piece who can take some of the ball-handling burden off Harden's shoulders when he is in the game.

Paul, Beal, Brook Lopez and John Collins are among the most notable additions to an already veteran-laden Clippers team this offseason, making them one of the most experienced teams in the league.

Injuries are always a concern with a team as old as the Clippers, but if they can stay healthy, they may have the depth and talent to improve on last season's performance, which saw them go 50-32 and push the Denver Nuggets to seven games in the first round of the playoffs.