James Harden still has the support of Clippers’ front office despite dismal playoffs

Clippers All-Star James Harden has been highly criticized for another dismal playoff performance against the Denver Nuggets, but he does have a supporter in the organization.

President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank views Harden as having done a “great job leading the way” while Kawhi Leonard sat out the first 34 games because of right-knee injury management and liked how the team responded to the 16-year veteran.

Frank spoke with reporters at a season-ending news conference Monday about how Harden played in 79 games this season, played the fifth-most total minutes in the NBA (2,789), was fifth in the league in assists (8.7), averaged 22.8 points per game and was the only player this season with 1,500 points, 500 assists, 100 steals and 50 blocks.

Frank did not mention how Harden was underwhelming in the postseason, averaging just 18.7 points per game in the series the Clippers lost to the Nuggets and how he scored just 33 points combined in Games 4, 5 and 7 losses, including seven points in Game 7.

“When it was James this year with no Kawhi, with Norm [Powell] and [Ivica] Zubac and the rest of the group, we really asked James to do a lot,” Frank said via Zoom because he was away with his family at a New York hospital because of a family medical issue.

“And at his age to deliver what he did…[He played in] 79 games, and he does that time and time and time again. We have a deep appreciation for that sort of availability and to be able to deliver and do what he did…We have a great level of appreciation for what James did this year.”

Harden has a player option for next season that pays him $36 million, and he has to let the Clippers know his decision by June 29. He can decide to opt-in, which means he can’t get an extension, or he can opt-out and work with the Clippers on an extension.

Frank said Harden, who will be 36 in August, is the team’s “first priority.”

“Now, because James has a player option, it would be irresponsible for me not to have contingency plans with it,” Frank said. “But I’m going in with the intent that if he doesn’t pick up his option, that we’re going to be able to reach an agreement that works well for James and works well for the Clippers.”

Frank was happy that Leonard was healthy following the season and that his best player has two years left on his deal for $100 million.

Powell, 31, has one year left on his contract at $20.4 million and he also will be looking for an extension. Zubac begins his three-year extension for $58.6 million next season, Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn and Bogdan Bogdanovic are all under contract and are top role players. Nicolas Batum has a player option for $4.9 million, but is expected to return.

The Clippers will look to improve their team in the draft — they have a first-round pick (29th overall) and a second-round selection. They can use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception of $14.1 million per season and they have trade exceptions of $6.5 million, $4.2 million and $2.1 million.

“Make no mistake, we want to contend in the present,” Frank said.

“We also will plan for the future and we’ll take the necessary steps to implement it.”

Frank said what happened in Game 7 in which the Clippers trailed by 35 points was “extremely embarrassing and also uncharacteristic” for this team. But he offered some perspective on the entire season.

The Clippers finished the season with a 50-32 record, won 18 of their last 21 regular-season games and were the fifth seed in the West.

“So, I don’t want to diminish the fact that we lost in a seven-game series,” Frank said, “and also not share the fact that [I’m] very prideful about the inspired play we had for much of the year.”