• James Harden has led the league in minutes played over the last two seasons
• Other All-Stars such as DeMar DeRozan and Damian Lillard round out the top three
• LeBron James appears at seventh place in the list
Over the last decade, we have seen the NBA switch over to a new era of load management. Star players are playing fewer games and minutes with every passing season to safeguard their physical health. On the other hand, many star players still take their responsibility of leading a team seriously.
James Harden had one of the heaviest workloads in the NBA during his time with the Rockets. Despite struggling with various injuries since 2020-21, Harden leads all players in minutes played over the last 10 seasons. The list also features recent All-Stars LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Russell Westbrook, and more.
1. James Harden – 25,894 Minutes
2. DeMar DeRozan – 25,737 Minutes
3. Damian Lillard – 24,775 Minutes
4. Harrison Barnes – 24,360 Minutes
5. Tobias Harris – 24,276 Minutes
6. Russell Westbrook – 24,032 Minutes
7. LeBron James – 23,719 Minutes
8. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 23,378 Minutes
9. Kyle Lowry – 22,644 Minutes
10. Jimmy Butler – 22,509 Minutes
Outside of Harrison Barnes, every single player on this list has made an All-Star team over the course of the last 10 seasons. James Harden’s reputation of being lazy and out-of-shape seems like a whole lot of recency bias, given he’s proven on the court that he will do everything for his team when required.
James Harden Was Underrated Last Season
James Harden is being treated like a player with little to no value on the trade market right now. You can’t blame Daryl Morey for wanting value for him given Harden led the league in assists last season. He was controversially left off the NBA All-Star team last season and was one of the premium point guards in the East.
He averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists last season and proved his utility as a starting point guard and secondary scoring option. Considering he’s on the trade block, many teams would find value in having him on their roster. It’s unlikely he fetches big draft equity, but a team like the Lakers could easily package some mid-sized contracts to get a point guard like him if they have a rough start to the season.
Not many teams have been lining up to acquire Harden otherwise, which has put Morey in the driver’s seat when it comes to finding Harden’s future home. Even if it’s not the Lakers, a California-based team could really benefit from having Harden on their roster.
The Clippers Are The Best Destination For James Harden
The only real contender in the James Harden trade debate has been the Los Angeles Clippers. Even though talks between the Clippers and 76ers have reportedly ended. The Clippers are wary of giving up any real long-term assets, while the 76ers are wary of selling cheap and not having enough on the roster to maximize contention with Joel Embiid.
Given Harden’s proven ability to soak up heavy minutes when motivated, the often-injured Clippers could use his reliability a lot. The team also hasn’t had a playmaker that can score like Harden in this era, no disrespect to Russell Westbrook who joined the team well past his prime. Harden isn’t the 36-point scorer he once was but he can easily be in the conversation for the best playmaker in the NBA still.
Given Harden is from California, there is a lot of reason to believe he’d be happy playing in his hometown, especially as they go into a season with heavy expectations.
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