James Harden vs. Trae Young Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Trae Young and James Harden, from their rookie seasons to their last year played, in chronological order with awards, stats, championships and playoff performance of their teams every year.

Player comparisons:
Career comparison / Season by season / Scoring / Stats / Stats Rankings / Games against each other

Who had the better rookie season? Who had best stats in their 10th season? Who won a championship first? These questions and many others, are answered here.

James Harden played 16 years in the NBA, 9 more than Trae Young, who played 7. James Harden had the first of his seasons in 2009-10, while Trae Young had his rookie season in 2018-19. With that starting point, here you can take a look at each of their seasons side by side and compare how their careers evolved in achievements, awards and championships won, the stats they recorded both in the Regular Season and the Playoffs and how their teams performed in the postseason.

Their Careers

Player		 Total Seasons Playoffs Played NBA Years
James Harden 16 16 2009-10 to 2024-25
Trae Young 7 3 2018-19 to 2024-25

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6-7

Rookie Season
James Harden Trae Young
Season 2009-102018-19
Team Oklahoma City ThunderAtlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Achievement All-Rookie Second Team-
Playoffs Thunder Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 76 22.9 9.9 0.6 2.6 3.2 1.8 1.1 0.3 1.4 2.6 3.1 7.6 .403 1.2 3.3 .375 2.6 3.2 .808
difference:+5+8.0+9.2+0.2+0.3+0.5+6.3+0.2+0.1-2.4-0.9+3.4+7.9+.015+0.7+2.7+.051+1.6+1.9+.021
Trae Young 81 30.9 19.1 0.8 2.9 3.7 8.1 0.9 0.2 3.8 1.7 6.5 15.5 .418 1.9 6.0 .324 4.2 5.1 .829
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 6 20.0 7.7 0.2 2.3 2.5 1.8 1.0 0.2 0.5 2.3 2.0 5.2 .387 1.0 2.7 .375 2.7 3.2 .842
Trae Young DNP------ --- ----------

Season 2
James Harden Trae Young
Season 2010-112019-20
Team Oklahoma City ThunderAtlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Thunder Lost West Conf FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 82 26.7 12.2 0.5 2.6 3.1 2.1 1.1 0.3 1.3 2.5 3.6 8.3 .436 1.4 4.0 .349 3.5 4.2 .843
difference:+22+8.6+17.4+1.1+1.2+7.2+0.2-3.5-0.8+5.5+12.5+.001+2.0+5.5+.012+4.5+5.1+.017
Trae Young 60 35.3 29.6 0.5 3.7 4.3 9.3 1.1 0.1 4.8 1.7 9.1 20.8 .437 3.4 9.5 .361 8.0 9.3 .860
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 17 31.6 13.0 0.6 4.8 5.4 3.6 1.2 0.8 1.6 2.8 3.9 8.2 .475 1.4 4.5 .303 3.9 4.7 .825
Trae Young DNP------ --- ----------

Season 3
James Harden Trae Young
Season 2011-122020-21
Team Oklahoma City ThunderAtlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards Achievement Sixth Man of the Year-
Playoffs Thunder Lost NBA FinalsHawks Lost East Conf Finals
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 62 31.4 16.8 0.5 3.6 4.1 3.7 1.0 0.2 2.2 2.4 5.0 10.1 .491 1.8 4.7 .390 5.0 6.0 .846
difference:+1+2.3+8.5+0.1+0.3+0.2+5.7+0.2-1.9-0.6+2.7+7.6+.053+0.4+1.6+.047+2.7+2.7+.040
Trae Young 63 33.7 25.3 0.6 3.3 3.9 9.4 0.8 0.2 4.1 1.8 7.7 17.7 .438 2.2 6.3 .343 7.7 8.7 .886
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 20 31.5 16.3 0.7 4.5 5.1 3.4 1.6 0.1 2.1 3.4 4.7 10.7 .435 1.6 3.9 .410 5.4 6.3 .857
difference:+4+6.2+12.5+0.3+2.1+2.3+6.1+0.3+0.1-1.9-1.2+4.7+11.7+.017+1.2+5.1+.097+1.9+2.1+.009
Trae Young 16 37.7 28.8 0.4 2.4 2.8 9.5 1.3 0.0 4.0 2.2 9.4 22.4 .418 2.8 9.0 .313 7.3 8.4 .866

Season 4
James Harden Trae Young
Season 2012-132021-22
Team Houston RocketsAtlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third TeamAchievement All-NBA Third Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdHawks Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 78 38.3 25.9 0.8 4.1 4.9 5.8 1.8 0.5 3.8 2.3 7.5 17.1 .438 2.3 6.2 .368 8.6 10.2 .851
difference:+2+3.4+2.5+0.1+1.0+1.2+3.9+0.9+0.4-0.2-0.6+1.9+3.2+.022+0.8+1.8+.014+2.0+2.9+.053
Trae Young 76 34.9 28.4 0.7 3.1 3.7 9.7 0.9 0.1 4.0 1.7 9.4 20.3 .460 3.1 8.0 .382 6.6 7.3 .904
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 6 40.5 26.3 0.8 5.8 6.7 4.5 2.0 1.0 4.5 3.0 7.5 19.2 .391 2.5 7.3 .341 8.8 11.0 .803
difference:+1+3.3+10.9+0.2+1.8+1.7+1.5+1.4+1.0-1.7-0.4+3.1+5.4+.072+1.1+0.3+.157+3.6+4.4+.015
Trae Young 5 37.2 15.4 1.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 0.6 0.0 6.2 2.6 4.4 13.8 .319 1.4 7.6 .184 5.2 6.6 .788

Season 5
James Harden Trae Young
Season 2013-142022-23
Team Houston RocketsAtlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdHawks Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 73 38.0 25.4 0.8 3.9 4.7 6.1 1.6 0.4 3.6 2.4 7.5 16.5 .456 2.4 6.6 .366 7.9 9.1 .866
difference:+3.2+0.8+1.7+1.7+4.1+0.5+0.3-0.5-1.0+0.7+2.5+.027+0.3+0.3+.031+0.1+0.3+.020
Trae Young 73 34.8 26.2 0.8 2.2 3.0 10.2 1.1 0.1 4.1 1.4 8.2 19.0 .429 2.1 6.3 .335 7.8 8.8 .886
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 6 43.8 26.8 0.8 3.8 4.7 5.8 2.0 0.2 3.5 3.5 8.3 22.2 .376 2.7 9.0 .296 7.5 8.3 .900
difference:+5.5+2.4+1.0+1.0+4.4+0.3+0.5-0.5-1.7+1.7+2.6+.027+0.3+.037+1.3+1.1+.040
Trae Young 6 38.3 29.2 0.8 2.8 3.7 10.2 1.7 0.7 4.0 1.8 10.0 24.8 .403 3.0 9.0 .333 6.2 7.2 .860

Season 6
James Harden Trae Young
Season 2014-152023-24
Team Houston RocketsAtlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 81 36.8 27.4 0.9 4.7 5.7 7.0 1.9 0.7 4.0 2.6 8.0 18.1 .440 2.6 6.9 .375 8.8 10.2 .868
difference:+27+0.8+1.7+0.5+2.4+2.9+3.8+0.6+0.5-0.4-0.6+0.6+.010+0.6+1.8+.002+2.4+2.7+.013
Trae Young 54 36.0 25.7 0.4 2.3 2.8 10.8 1.3 0.2 4.4 2.0 8.0 18.7 .430 3.2 8.7 .373 6.4 7.5 .855
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 17 37.4 27.2 0.7 5.0 5.7 7.5 1.6 0.4 4.5 2.9 7.6 17.3 .439 2.4 6.3 .383 9.6 10.5 .916
Trae Young DNP------ --- ----------

Season 7
James Harden Trae Young
Season 2015-162024-25
Team Houston RocketsAtlanta Hawks
Honors & Awards -Achievement Assists Leader
-Achievement Cup All-Tournament Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 82 38.1 29.0 0.8 5.3 6.1 7.5 1.7 0.6 4.6 2.8 8.7 19.7 .439 2.9 8.0 .359 8.8 10.2 .860
difference:+6+2.1+4.8+0.3+2.7+3.0+4.1+0.5+0.4-0.1-0.9+1.3+1.6+.028+0.4+.019+2.3+2.8+.015
Trae Young 76 36.0 24.2 0.5 2.6 3.1 11.6 1.2 0.2 4.7 1.9 7.4 18.1 .411 2.9 8.4 .340 6.5 7.4 .875
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
James Harden 5 38.6 26.6 1.4 3.8 5.2 7.6 2.4 0.2 5.2 2.6 8.2 20.0 .410 2.6 8.4 .310 7.6 9.0 .844
Trae Young DNP------ --- ----------

Additional Years

* James Harden played 9 seasons more than Trae Young in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 8 to 16, from 2017 to 2025—James Harden played in 9 Playoffs.

In those 9 extra years over Trae Young, James Harden got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 1 Season MVP
Achievement 4 All-NBA First Team
Achievement 1 All-NBA Third Team
Achievement 3 Scoring Leader
Achievement 2 Assists Leader
Achievement 7 All-Star Game
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