Hoops Nightly
James Harden
Cavaliers · G · 37
James Harden
vs
2025-26
LaMelo Ball
Timberwolves · G · 25
LaMelo Ball
Head to head · 2025-26 regular season · stats.nba.com

James Harden vs LaMelo Ball

7-8categories
Harden · Ball
James Harden
Harden
Cavaliers
2025-26
Ball
Timberwolves
LaMelo Ball
70
Games
availability
72
34.8
Minutes
per game
28.0
23.6
Points
per game
20.1
4.8
Rebounds
per game
4.8
8.0
Assists
per game
7.1
1.5
Steals + blocks
per game
1.5
3.5
Turnovers
per game · lower is better
2.8
43.4%
Field goal %
40.7%
37.5%
Three-point %
8.2 vs 10.3 attempts
36.8%
88.4%
Free throw %
89.9%
61.0%
True shooting
TS%
54.6%
27.9%
Usage
USG%
30.6%
34.7%
Assist %
of teammates' baskets
38.4%
7.0%
Rebound %
of available
8.4%
+1.8
Net rating
on court
+9.1
14.3%
PIE
player impact estimate
13.4%
+1.4
Plus-minus
per game
+5.8
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

James Harden scored more in 2025-26, 3.5 points a game apart (23.6 vs 20.1), on Ball's heavier usage (30.6% vs 27.9%).

Harden is the more efficient scorer by true shooting, 61.0% to 54.6%; TS% folds threes and free throws into one number, so the gap survives shot-diet differences.

Playmaking goes to Harden (8.0 vs 7.1 assists), the glass to Ball (4.8 vs 4.8 rebounds).

With Ball on the floor his team outscored opponents by +9.1 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, Ball $40.8M 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
Ball
40-30
Record when playing
41-31
21.9
Points at home
19.5
25.1
Points on the road
20.6
24.3
Points in wins
20.4
22.7
Points in losses
19.6
55
Season high
38
14
30-point games
9
20
Double-doubles
10

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
Ball · last 5
Wed, Oct 21 at MIA21 pts · 2 reb · 6 ast
Fri, Oct 16 at CHI0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast
Wed, Oct 14 vs DET3 pts · 2 reb · 6 ast
Mon, Oct 12 at NYK10 pts · 3 reb · 7 ast
Wed, Oct 7 at IND14 pts · 4 reb · 7 ast
Harden · contract
2026-27$30.6M
2027-28$32.2M
2028-29player option$33.7M
Ball · contract
2026-27$40.8M
2027-28$43.6M
2028-29$46.4M

More comparisons

pick any two players →
Harden vs
Keyonte George · Cade Cunningham · Austin Reaves · Jamal Murray
Ball vs
Desmond Bane · Dillon Brooks · Tyler Herro · Ja Morant
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
Ball 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 · 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 · 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).