If Harden intends to leave the Clippers, joining the Mavericks may be perfect

Harden dragged the Clippers forward in a difficult situation this season. He played 79 games in 82 regular season games, averaging 35.3 minutes per game. He performed quite well this season, averaging 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game. He has a shooting percentage of 41%, three-point shooting percentage of 35%, and free throw shooting percentage of 87%. Xiaoka has been injured continuously. Without Harden, the Clippers would not have had the chance to enter the playoffs.

In the playoffs, he led the Clippers to seven games with the Nuggets, although he performed poorly in the tiebreak battle. But without Harden, the Clippers would not have had the chance to play the tiebreak battle. He averaged up to 39.4 minutes of playing time in the entire playoffs, scoring 18.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1 block. His shooting percentage and three-point shooting percentage are pretty good.

However, Harden is likely to jump out of the contract he signed earlier this year during the offseason. There are rumors that the Clippers intend to issue a new contract for Harden, but it is likely not a maximum salary contract. As a hero of the team's playoffs this year, even as a reward, the Clippers should come up with a larger contract.

If Harden is not satisfied with the contract issued by the Clippers in the offseason, he can sign with other teams. If the Clippers don't want to lose too much, they can choose to sign and exchange with the Mavericks first to facilitate a win-win deal. After Irving's season was reimbursed this season, the Mavericks had no chance to enter the playoffs. Davis tried his best and could not bring the team to the level they should have. Fortunately, they were lucky in the lottery meeting during the offseason. They won the No. 1 pick. It definitely doesn't require much consideration to choose Flag. Next season, there will be Irving, Davis and Flag. The Mavericks have a good team to compete for the championship, but anyone with a discerning eye can see that their team lacks a qualified organizational defender.

In this playoff game against the Grizzlies, the head coach once gave up Dinwiddie, the only player who could organize the team's offense. Kidd had no choice but to cause the situation on the court to be quite chaotic and no one organized it. In the end, the Mavericks lost to the Grizzlies. If Dinwiddie can play better, the Mavericks still have the power to fight. Irving is likely to be absent for a long time next season. Even if he can come back after New Year's Day 2026, given Irving's playing style, he does not have much ability to organize the team, and Harden can perfectly fill this vacancy.

Mavericks can send out some players who match the contract, plus the first-round draft pick, to minimize the Clippers' losses. If Harden joins the Mavericks, I believe Davis's power will be maximized, and outside shooter Klay Thompson will also further improve the offensive efficiency. Of course, he also has a guiding role in the growth of rookie No. 1 Flag. In short, if the Mavericks can get Harden through operation, they can not only win the championship, but also find a good mentor for the future core Flag, which will help him become a superstar in the future.

If Harden is really dissatisfied with the new contract offered by the Clippers and is determined to leave the Clippers, then the Mavericks can consider issuing a multi-year contract and then sign and then exchange. In this way, the Clippers can avoid losses and get some draft picks. After the Mavericks have Harden as an organizational defender, the team's offense will be smoother, and Harden himself can get a big contract with a longer term, which is also considered a good contract in his last career. This is a great benefit to the three parties, and it depends on how Harden makes a choice then.