James Harden vs Karl-Anthony Towns
Harden · Towns
| Harden | Towns | |
|---|---|---|
| 70 | Games availability | 75 |
| 34.8 | Minutes per game | 31.0 |
| 23.6 | Points per game | 20.1 |
| 4.8 | Rebounds per game | 11.9 |
| 8.0 | Assists per game | 3.0 |
| 1.5 | Steals + blocks per game | 1.4 |
| 3.5 | Turnovers per game · lower is better | 2.5 |
| 43.4% | Field goal % | 50.1% |
| 37.5% | Three-point % 8.2 vs 4.1 attempts | 36.8% |
| 88.4% | Free throw % | 85.8% |
| 61.0% | True shooting TS% | 61.9% |
| 27.9% | Usage USG% | 25.1% |
| 34.7% | Assist % of teammates' baskets | 14.2% |
| 7.0% | Rebound % of available | 19.2% |
| +1.8 | Net rating on court | +7.0 |
| 14.3% | PIE player impact estimate | 15.4% |
| +1.4 | Plus-minus per game | +5.0 |
Where the gap is
from the numbers aboveJames Harden scored more in 2025-26, 3.5 points a game apart (23.6 vs 20.1), on Harden's heavier usage (27.9% vs 25.1%).
Efficiency is a wash: true shooting within a point of each other (61.0% vs 61.9%).
Playmaking goes to Harden (8.0 vs 3.0 assists), the glass to Towns (11.9 vs 4.8 rebounds).
With Towns on the floor his team outscored opponents by +7.0 per 100 possessions, against +1.8 for Harden; on-court net rating carries the teammates with it, so read it next to PIE.
On the books for 2026-27: Harden $42.3M through 2026-27, Towns $57.1M through 2027-28. Whether either fits a trade is a Trade Machine question, not a stat one.
Splits
2025-26 · from the game logs| Harden | Towns | |
|---|---|---|
| 40-30 | Record when playing | 49-26 |
| 21.9 | Points at home | 20.4 |
| 25.1 | Points on the road | 19.8 |
| 24.3 | Points in wins | 20.1 |
| 22.7 | Points in losses | 20.0 |
| 55 | Season high | 40 |
| 14 | 30-point games | 7 |
| 20 | Double-doubles | 56 |
Last games & contracts
test a trade in the Trade Machine →More comparisons
pick any two players →Per-game numbers and percentages are 2025-26 regular season from stats.nba.com; splits and last games from our own game logs; contract figures are cap hits from public salary data and can lag a signing by a day. Bold marks the better number in each row (turnovers: fewer is better).