Hoops Nightly
James Harden
Cavaliers · G · 37
James Harden
vs
2025-26
2
Raptors · F · 35
Kawhi Leonard
Head to head · 2025-26 regular season · stats.nba.com

James Harden vs Kawhi Leonard

4-13categories
Harden · Leonard
James Harden
Harden
Cavaliers
2025-26
Leonard
Raptors
2
70
Games
availability
65
34.8
Minutes
per game
32.1
23.6
Points
per game
27.9
4.8
Rebounds
per game
6.4
8.0
Assists
per game
3.6
1.5
Steals + blocks
per game
2.3
3.5
Turnovers
per game · lower is better
2.0
43.4%
Field goal %
50.5%
37.5%
Three-point %
8.2 vs 6.8 attempts
38.7%
88.4%
Free throw %
89.2%
61.0%
True shooting
TS%
62.9%
27.9%
Usage
USG%
32.6%
34.7%
Assist %
of teammates' baskets
19.3%
7.0%
Rebound %
of available
10.2%
+1.8
Net rating
on court
+7.5
14.3%
PIE
player impact estimate
18.5%
+1.4
Plus-minus
per game
+5.2
Bars show each player's share of the pair's total; the better number is in the club's color (turnovers: fewer is better).

Where the gap is

from the numbers above

Kawhi Leonard scored more in 2025-26, 4.3 points a game apart (27.9 vs 23.6), on Leonard's heavier usage (32.6% vs 27.9%).

Leonard is the more efficient scorer by true shooting, 62.9% to 61.0%; TS% folds threes and free throws into one number, so the gap survives shot-diet differences.

Playmaking goes to Harden (8.0 vs 3.6 assists), the glass to Leonard (6.4 vs 4.8 rebounds).

With Leonard on the floor his team outscored opponents by +7.5 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 $30.6M through 2028-29, Leonard $50.3M through 2028-29. Whether either fits a trade is a Trade Machine question, not a stat one.

Splits

2025-26 · from the game logs
Harden
2025-26
Leonard
40-30
Record when playing
37-28
21.9
Points at home
30.4
25.1
Points on the road
25.1
24.3
Points in wins
30.1
22.7
Points in losses
25.0
55
Season high
55
14
30-point games
21
20
Double-doubles
5

Last games & contracts

test a trade in the Trade Machine →
Harden · last 5
Tue, Oct 13 at ORL13 pts · 0 reb · 2 ast
Sun, Oct 11 vs ORL24 pts · 4 reb · 2 ast
Thu, Oct 8 vs BOS0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast
Mon, May 25 vs NYK12 pts · 4 reb · 2 ast
Sat, May 23 vs NYK19 pts · 5 reb · 5 ast
Leonard · last 5
Wed, Oct 21 vs CHI23 pts · 6 reb · 2 ast
Fri, Oct 16 at DET0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast
Thu, Oct 15 at NYK6 pts · 1 reb · 1 ast
Tue, Oct 13 vs NYK21 pts · 5 reb · 0 ast
Sat, Oct 3 vs MIA0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast
Harden · contract
2026-27$30.6M
2027-28$32.2M
2028-29player option$33.7M
Leonard · contract
2026-27$50.3M
2027-28$56.1M
2028-29$58.9M

More comparisons

pick any two players →
Harden vs
Keyonte George · Cade Cunningham · Austin Reaves · Jamal Murray
Leonard vs
Giannis Antetokounmpo · Lauri Markkanen · Kevin Durant · Victor Wembanyama
Harden vs the top 40 scorers of 2025-26
Luka Doncic · Shai Gilgeous-Alexander · Anthony Edwards · Jaylen Brown · Tyrese Maxey · Kawhi Leonard · Donovan Mitchell · Nikola Jokic · Lauri Markkanen · Stephen Curry · Devin Booker · Jalen Brunson · Kevin Durant · Jamal Murray · Victor Wembanyama · Michael Porter Jr. · Deni Avdija · Pascal Siakam · Cade Cunningham · Keyonte George · Austin Reaves · Jalen Johnson · Paolo Banchero · Norman Powell · Brandon Ingram · Trey Murphy III · Julius Randle · Cooper Flagg · Zion Williamson · LeBron James · Nickeil Alexander-Walker · Shaedon Sharpe · Alperen Sengun · Brandon Miller · Dillon Brooks · LaMelo Ball · Bam Adebayo · Karl-Anthony Towns · Desmond Bane
Leonard vs the top 40 scorers of 2025-26
Luka Doncic · Shai Gilgeous-Alexander · Anthony Edwards · Jaylen Brown · Tyrese Maxey · Donovan Mitchell · Nikola Jokic · Lauri Markkanen · Stephen Curry · Devin Booker · Jalen Brunson · Kevin Durant · Jamal Murray · Victor Wembanyama · Michael Porter Jr. · Deni Avdija · Pascal Siakam · Cade Cunningham · Keyonte George · James Harden · Austin Reaves · Jalen Johnson · Paolo Banchero · Norman Powell · Brandon Ingram · Trey Murphy III · Julius Randle · Cooper Flagg · Zion Williamson · LeBron James · Nickeil Alexander-Walker · Shaedon Sharpe · Alperen Sengun · Brandon Miller · Dillon Brooks · LaMelo Ball · Bam Adebayo · Karl-Anthony Towns · Desmond Bane

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).