Ty Lue gives honest take on James Harden running it back with Clippers next season

LA Clippers coach Ty Lue shared his honest take on James Harden and the rest of his team running it back next season. The Clippers suffered a disappointing 120-101 loss in Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets, eliminating them from the 2025 NBA playoffs.

According to The Athletic's Law Murray, Lue told reporters that he praised Harden, as well as Kawhi Leonard, for the season they had. He understood how hard it was for the team to get any kind of rhythm with Leonard's injury and return, but they did a great job toward the end of the regular season.

Lue added that he's looking forward to the Harden-Leonard duo playing more together next season. Leonard finished with 22 points and five rebounds, while Harden only scored seven points but dished out 13 assists. The Beard did have a subpar game, but it was a collectively bad game for the Clippers as a team.

While some fans are calling for the LA Clippers to fire Ty Lue or move on from James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, NBA analyst Jake Weinbach reported that the Clippers are likely bringing back their core and will look to have another crack at making a run for a title.

Harden will have a player option worth $36.3 million next season, though it's a risk for him to opt out. He likely won't get a bigger contract given his age and another Game 7 blunder. He's also home in Los Angeles and had a bounce-back season for the Clippers.

In addition to bringing back the team's core, the Clippers have a $14.1 million non-tax mid-level exception to use in free agency. It will be interesting to see what general manager Trent Redden and team president Lawrence Frank have planned this summer.

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James Harden avoided reporters after Game 7 loss

James Harden avoided reporters after Game 7 loss. (Photo: IMAGN)

For the second straight Game 7, James Harden didn't reach double digits in scoring. He finished with seven points on Saturday, which encapsulates the notion that he's great during the regular season and inexplicably drops off during the playoffs.

Harden was given the same criticism in 2023, when he scored nine points in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Philadelphia 76ers were up 3-2 in that series, but let it slip and were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in seven games.

According to Sports Illustrated's Joey Linn, the former MVP skipped the postgame interview and went straight home.

Harden has now lost four Game 7s with four different teams – the Clippers, Sixers, Brooklyn Nets and Houston Rockets.