James Harden
What does James Harden actually supply on the floor?
James Harden's strongest evidenced functions are creation, passing, shooting; the weakest available areas are rim protection, interior finishing, rebounding. These are full-season values across multiple teams, so team-specific fit is withheld.
Function profile
2025-26 — eleven separate readings on a league scale. They are not additive.* limited evidence for that function. A dash means the evidence was insufficient — not a zero. Use the separate function strengths to evaluate role and roster fit; do not treat them as one player-value score. POA or switch conclusions require lineup, matchup, and assignment evidence beyond this profile.
Season by season
Every governed season profile on record.| Season | Team | Role | Evidence | Creation | Rim pressure | Shooting | Passing | Screening | Interior finish | Point of attack | Switch coverage | Rim protection | Event creation | Rebounding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | — | Franchise engine | High evidence | 81 | 52 | 66 | 80 | — | 46 | — | — | 30 | 48 | 47 |
| 2024-25 | LAC | — | High evidence | 87 | 51 | 61 | 90 | — | 39 | 50 | 49 | 41 | 69 | 47 |
| 2023-24 | LAC | — | High evidence | 79 | 47 | 67 | 81 | — | 22 | 56 | 57 | 47 | 63 | 48 |
| 2022-23 | PHI | — | High evidence | 86 | 50 | 65 | 89 | — | 40 | 40 | 44 | 39 | 63 | 49 |
| 2021-22 | — | — | High evidence | 85 | 61 | 52 | 84 | — | 60 | — | — | 44 | 61 | 44 |
| 2020-21 | — | — | High evidence | 90 | 60 | 57 | 90 | — | 48 | — | — | 45 | 61 | 47 |
| 2019-20 | HOU | — | High evidence | 85 | 62 | 58 | 83 | — | 43 | — | — | 46 | 81 | 41 |
| 2018-19 | HOU | — | High evidence | 81 | 59 | 70 | 80 | — | 47 | — | — | 50 | 84 | 48 |
| 2017-18 | HOU | — | High evidence | 85 | 64 | 67 | 85 | — | 44 | — | — | 50 | 80 | 43 |
| 2016-17 | HOU | — | High evidence | 92 | 60 | 57 | 91 | — | 41 | — | — | 38 | 67 | 68 |
| 2015-16 | HOU | — | Limited evidence | 91 | 78 | 64 | 87 | — | — | — | — | 44 | 74 | — |
| 2014-15 | HOU | — | Limited evidence | 91 | 79 | 73 | 88 | — | — | — | — | 52 | 82 | — |
| 2013-14 | HOU | — | Limited evidence | 86 | 77 | 66 | 87 | — | — | — | — | 43 | 66 | — |
What teams depended on him for
Seasons where a team's situation report named him a dependency case.CLE did not have enough reliable function-loss evidence to judge dependence on James Harden.
Replacement evidence
Donovan Mitchell · Jarrett Allen · Dean Wade · Evan Mobley · Jaylon Tyson
shrunk net 3.1910 over 158 possessions
on floor 2760 possessions · off floor 6159 possessions
LAC did not have enough reliable function-loss evidence to judge dependence on James Harden.
Replacement evidence
Brook Lopez · Kawhi Leonard · Kris Dunn · Derrick Jones Jr. · Darius Garland
shrunk net 6.1280 over 204 possessions
on floor 2818 possessions · off floor 4277 possessions
LAC did not have a sufficiently supported observed replacement lineup for James Harden. The database keeps the functional-loss evidence but does not invent a replacement plan.
Replacement evidence
No replacement lineup is supported by the available evidence.
on floor 5521 possessions · off floor 2220 possessions
LAC lineups performed 3.8 points per 100 possessions better with James Harden than without him. The best supported alternative was [Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, Norman Powell, Daniel Theis, Amir Coffey] over 187 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Russell Westbrook · Kawhi Leonard · Norman Powell · Daniel Theis · Amir Coffey
shrunk net -0.4460 over 187 possessions
on floor 4785 possessions · off floor 2730 possessions
PHI did not have strong functional backup for James Harden in passing; removing him cost about 36.1% of the team's production in that area. The next observed option was Joel Embiid.
Replacement evidence
P.J. Tucker · Tobias Harris · Joel Embiid · De'Anthony Melton · Tyrese Maxey
shrunk net 8.1420 over 186 possessions
on floor 4393 possessions · off floor 3422 possessions
PHI did not have enough reliable function-loss evidence to judge dependence on James Harden.
Replacement evidence
Danny Green · Tobias Harris · Seth Curry · Joel Embiid · Tyrese Maxey
shrunk net 4.9300 over 455 possessions
on floor 2187 possessions · off floor 5734 possessions
BRK did not have enough reliable function-loss evidence to judge dependence on James Harden.
Replacement evidence
Kevin Durant · Kyrie Irving · Andre Drummond · Seth Curry · Bruce Brown
shrunk net -1.7000 over 386 possessions
on floor 2909 possessions · off floor 4573 possessions
BRK did not have enough reliable function-loss evidence to judge dependence on James Harden.
Replacement evidence
Kevin Durant · Blake Griffin · Kyrie Irving · Joe Harris · Bruce Brown
shrunk net -1.0010 over 180 possessions
on floor 2979 possessions · off floor 4453 possessions
HOU did not have enough reliable function-loss evidence to judge dependence on James Harden.
Replacement evidence
Avery Bradley · Kelly Olynyk · Christian Wood · Kevin Porter Jr. · Jae'Sean Tate
shrunk net 1.4070 over 152 possessions
on floor 548 possessions · off floor 5837 possessions
HOU did not have a sufficiently supported observed replacement lineup for James Harden. The database keeps the functional-loss evidence but does not invent a replacement plan.
Replacement evidence
No replacement lineup is supported by the available evidence.
on floor 5387 possessions · off floor 2189 possessions
HOU did not have a sufficiently supported observed replacement lineup for James Harden. The database keeps the functional-loss evidence but does not invent a replacement plan.
Replacement evidence
No replacement lineup is supported by the available evidence.
on floor 5929 possessions · off floor 2220 possessions
HOU lineups performed 4.9 points per 100 possessions better with James Harden than without him. The best supported alternative was [Trevor Ariza, Chris Paul, Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson, Clint Capela] over 201 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Trevor Ariza · Chris Paul · Eric Gordon · Ryan Anderson · Clint Capela
shrunk net 2.5150 over 201 possessions
on floor 5723 possessions · off floor 2923 possessions
HOU did not have strong functional backup for James Harden in creation; removing him cost about 44.8% of the team's production in that area. The next observed option was Patrick Beverley.
Replacement evidence
Nene Hilario · Corey Brewer · Eric Gordon · Patrick Beverley · Sam Dekker
shrunk net 7.5720 over 261 possessions
on floor 6315 possessions · off floor 2113 possessions
HOU did not have enough reliable function-loss evidence to judge dependence on James Harden.
Replacement evidence
No replacement lineup is supported by the available evidence.
on floor 5927 possessions · off floor 1639 possessions
HOU did not have enough reliable function-loss evidence to judge dependence on James Harden.
Replacement evidence
Dwight Howard · Josh Smith · Trevor Ariza · Corey Brewer · Pablo Prigioni
shrunk net 5.8020 over 164 possessions
on floor 6501 possessions · off floor 2094 possessions
HOU did not have enough reliable function-loss evidence to judge dependence on James Harden.
Replacement evidence
Dwight Howard · Patrick Beverley · Jeremy Lin · Chandler Parsons · Terrence Jones
shrunk net 0.2560 over 217 possessions
on floor 5406 possessions · off floor 2159 possessions
Known contract calendar
Governed contract events naming this player — dates carry their honest quality.James Harden has a reported player option for the 2026 season at a reported $36,346,154. Player controls the option. The stored date is the CBA outside date; the contract may require an earlier decision.
James Harden has a reported contract-control horizon through the 2026 season. The June 30 date is a season-boundary planning proxy, not proof of exact free-agency status. The player is inside the two-season extension-review horizon, but exact eligibility and value are not certified.
James Harden has a reported contract-control horizon through the 2024 season. The June 30 date is a season-boundary planning proxy, not proof of exact free-agency status. The player is inside the two-season extension-review horizon, but exact eligibility and value are not certified.
James Harden has a reported player option for the 2024 season at a reported $35,680,595. Player controls the option. The stored date is the CBA outside date; the contract may require an earlier decision.
James Harden has a reported contract-control horizon through the 2024 season. The June 30 date is a season-boundary planning proxy, not proof of exact free-agency status. The player is inside the two-season extension-review horizon, but exact eligibility and value are not certified.
Function scores, roles, dependence records and contract events are separate evidence. No combined player value, trade value or ranking is computed from them, and none of them is a causal impact claim.