James Harden vs Lauri Markkanen
Harden · Markkanen
| Harden | Markkanen | |
|---|---|---|
| 70 | Games availability | 42 |
| 34.8 | Minutes per game | 34.3 |
| 23.6 | Points per game | 26.7 |
| 4.8 | Rebounds per game | 6.9 |
| 8.0 | Assists per game | 2.1 |
| 1.5 | Steals + blocks per game | 1.5 |
| 3.5 | Turnovers per game · lower is better | 1.5 |
| 43.4% | Field goal % | 47.7% |
| 37.5% | Three-point % 8.2 vs 7.7 attempts | 35.5% |
| 88.4% | Free throw % | 89.6% |
| 61.0% | True shooting TS% | 60.8% |
| 27.9% | Usage USG% | 26.9% |
| 34.7% | Assist % of teammates' baskets | 10.1% |
| 7.0% | Rebound % of available | 9.4% |
| +1.8 | Net rating on court | -1.5 |
| 14.3% | PIE player impact estimate | 13.9% |
| +1.4 | Plus-minus per game | -1.3 |
Where the gap is
from the numbers aboveLauri Markkanen scored more in 2025-26, 3.1 points a game apart (26.7 vs 23.6), on Harden's heavier usage (27.9% vs 26.9%).
Efficiency is a wash: true shooting within a point of each other (61.0% vs 60.8%).
Playmaking goes to Harden (8.0 vs 2.1 assists), the glass to Markkanen (6.9 vs 4.8 rebounds).
Availability is part of the comparison: Harden played 28 more games (70 vs 42 of 82).
With Harden on the floor his team outscored opponents by +1.8 per 100 possessions, against -1.5 for Markkanen; 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, Markkanen $46.1M 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 | Markkanen | |
|---|---|---|
| 40-30 | Record when playing | 17-25 |
| 21.9 | Points at home | 28.1 |
| 25.1 | Points on the road | 25.6 |
| 24.3 | Points in wins | 29.5 |
| 22.7 | Points in losses | 24.8 |
| 55 | Season high | 51 |
| 14 | 30-point games | 13 |
| 20 | Double-doubles | 5 |
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).