James Harden Cleveland Cavaliers · #1
James Harden is a former MVP and one of the greatest scorers and playmakers in NBA history, acquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers midseason in 2026 (for Darius Garland). Known as 'The Beard,' the 2018 MVP and three-time scoring champion is the NBA's all-time leader in three-pointers made. An 11-time All-Star, he joins Cleveland as a primary playmaker in his pursuit of a first championship.
James Harden — the report card
Read his whole game at a glance, then dive into any skill. Grades from the DNA model + real production.
Where James Harden stands
Live ladders from the Balladex models, and what he's chasing. Rankings recompute nightly from real production, accolades, and search demand.
James Harden — every number, three levels deep
Headline → metric → the raw history behind it. Real career data; tracking-only metrics labeled.
How the model sees James Harden
Projection = per-minute rate × projected minutes. Rates are recency- and health-weighted, aged along a per-stat curve, and adjusted for live usage/role. No black box — every number shows its work.
James Harden career stats, season by season
| Season | GP | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10 | 76 | 22.9 | 9.9 | 3.2 | 1.8 | .403 | .375 |
| 2010-11 | 82 | 26.7 | 12.2 | 3.1 | 2.1 | .436 | .349 |
| 2011-12 | 62 | 31.4 | 16.8 | 4.1 | 3.7 | .491 | .390 |
| 2012-13 | 78 | 38.3 | 25.9 | 4.9 | 5.8 | .438 | .368 |
| 2013-14 | 73 | 38.0 | 25.4 | 4.7 | 6.1 | .456 | .366 |
| 2014-15 | 81 | 36.8 | 27.4 | 5.7 | 7.0 | .440 | .375 |
| 2015-16 | 82 | 38.1 | 29.0 | 6.1 | 7.5 | .439 | .359 |
| 2016-17 | 81 | 36.4 | 29.1 | 8.1 | 11.2 | .440 | .347 |
| 2017-18 | 72 | 35.4 | 30.4 | 5.4 | 8.8 | .449 | .367 |
| 2018-19 | 78 | 36.8 | 36.1 | 6.6 | 7.5 | .442 | .368 |
| 2019-20 | 68 | 36.5 | 34.3 | 6.6 | 7.5 | .444 | .355 |
| 2020-21 (Houston) | 8 | 36.1 | 24.8 | 5.1 | 10.4 | .444 | .347 |
| 2020-21 (Brooklyn) | 36 | 36.6 | 24.6 | 8.5 | 10.9 | .471 | .366 |
| 2021-22 (Brooklyn) | 44 | 37.0 | 22.5 | 8.0 | 10.2 | .414 | .332 |
| 2021-22 (Philadelphia) | 21 | 37.8 | 21.0 | 7.1 | 10.5 | .402 | .326 |
| 2022-23 | 58 | 36.8 | 21.0 | 6.1 | 10.7 | .441 | .385 |
| 2023-24 | 72 | 34.3 | 16.6 | 5.1 | 8.5 | .428 | .381 |
| 2024-25 | 79 | 35.3 | 22.8 | 5.8 | 8.7 | .410 | .352 |
| 2025-26 (LA Clippers) | 44 | 35.5 | 25.4 | 4.8 | 8.1 | .419 | .347 |
| 2025-26 (Cleveland) | 26 | 33.8 | 20.5 | 4.8 | 7.7 | .466 | .435 |
| Career | 1221 | 34.8 | 24.0 | 5.6 | 7.3 |
The Lab
Every number, live and interactive. Real career data; models labeled.
Are the Cleveland Cavaliers built to win?
Team projection rolled up from the roster + last-season baselines — and what it means for his role.
The Ballad of James Harden
Birth to now — the making of a legend, narrated and scored.
The beginning
A former MVP and all-time great scorer-playmaker — 'The Beard,' now chasing a ring in Cleveland.
Turning pro
Drafted 3rd overall, 2009 as a Guard.
true
A former MVP and all-time scorer — 'The Beard,' traded to Cleveland midseason in one more chase for a ring.
Chapter
An Arizona State star drafted 3rd in 2009, Harden won Sixth Man of the Year in OKC before becoming a superstar in Houston.
Chapter
He won the 2018 MVP, three scoring titles, and became the NBA's all-time leader in made threes.
Off the court
- Height
- 6' 5"
- Weight
- 220 lbs
- College
- Arizona State
- Experience
- 18th Season
- NBA debut
- 2009
- Draft
- 3rd overall, 2009
- Born
- Los Angeles, California
- Age
- 37
- Jersey
- #1
Harden is one of the most recognizable figures of his basketball generation — 'The Beard,' whose step-back three and foul-drawing craft reshaped how the game is played and officiated. Raised in Los Angeles by his mother, Monja Willis, he has been candid about his fashion, nightlife, and business ventures, including a wine label and restaurant interests.
His career is a paradox: a résumé of individual dominance — an MVP, scoring titles, and the all-time three-point record — without a championship, and a series of high-profile exits from title contenders. The move to Cleveland is another swing at the one line missing from his Hall of Fame case, as a facilitator on a team built around Mitchell and Mobley.
A crafty, high-IQ scorer-playmaker — foul-drawing, step-back mastery, and elite passing.
James Harden — frequently asked
The questions people ask most about James Harden, answered.
