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Ohm Youngmisuk
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Ohm Youngmisuk
ESPN Workers Author
- Ohm Youngmisuk has lined the Giants, Jets and the NFL since 2006. Previous to that, he lined the Nets, Knicks and the NBA for practically a decade. He joined ESPNNewYork.com after working on the New York Day by day Information for nearly 12 years and is a graduate of Michigan State College.
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James Harden is declining his $36.3 million participant choice and intends to re-sign with the LA Clippers on a two-year, $81.5 million contract, sources advised ESPN on Sunday.
The second yr of Harden’s deal has a participant choice and is partially assured, sources advised ESPN.
The settlement offers Harden a increase after the 11-time All-Star helped the Clippers exceed most preseason expectations by ending fifth within the Western Convention whereas incomes All-NBA third-team honors. Harden averaged 22.8 factors, 8.7 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals, and he led the NBA with 129 step-back 3-pointers, in line with GeniusIQ.
The Clippers additionally keep the flexibleness so as to add expertise within the current and future with the deal, and they’ll have entry to the $14.1 million non-tax mid-level exception. The Clippers additionally stay aggressive with Harden and Kawhi Leonard collectively for this upcoming season, and it retains each stars on an identical timeline, as Leonard has two years remaining on his contract.
“He is our No. 1 precedence,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank mentioned of Harden on Wednesday. “We’re tremendous hopeful that James is right here, and he is right here for a very long time. … He can choose out, and hopefully we will do a deal that is sensible for either side.”
In his second season with LA, Harden helped the Clippers exceed preseason expectations, successful 50 video games regardless of Leonard (knee) lacking the primary two-plus months of the season and Paul George departing in free company through the offseason. It was the primary time within the Leonard period in Los Angeles that the Clippers didn’t enter the season with expectations to contend.
The Clippers credited Harden with taking up a management position inside the locker room and behind the scenes that helped set the tone for the season. Harden appeared in 79 video games — his most since 2016-17 — and completed with the fifth-most minutes performed within the league. He was the one participant this previous season with 1,500 factors, 500 assists, 100 steals and 50 blocks.
He helped Ivica Zubac emerge as a pressure within the paint as the middle, aided by 209 assists from Harden, averaged a career-high 16.8 factors and 12.6 rebounds to go together with 62.8% capturing from the sphere.