James Harden Set to Re-Sign With Cavaliers on Deal That Maxes Out at Two Guaranteed Years
James Harden’s Cleveland future is finally coming into focus.
According to multiple reports, the Cavaliers and Harden are closing in on a new deal that will max out at no more than two guaranteed years. The reporting cites league sources who describe the structure as designed to keep Cleveland’s financial flexibility intact while giving Harden a longer runway than the one-year deal some had projected.
Harden declined his $42.3 million player option in late June with the expectation of getting a longer-term contract. Now that LeBron James has signed with Philadelphia and taken himself off the market, the Cavaliers can move forward on the Harden situation without wondering if a bigger free agent is going to change their plans.
The number is going to matter a lot. Cleveland is trying to stay under the second apron of the NBA salary cap, and how Harden’s cap hit is structured will directly impact whether they can pursue additional depth moves this summer or during the season.
The two-year structure is smart from both sides. Harden gets a legitimate multi-year commitment on paper. Cleveland gets a defined runway that ends before Harden is on the wrong side of his age curve. If things go well, both sides can revisit and figure out the next step. If things go badly, no one is trapped in a long-term deal that limits future flexibility.
The Cavs are a team that badly needs a healthy Harden. Donovan Mitchell is one of the best offensive guards in the game. Evan Mobley is a rising star. Jarrett Allen is a rock-solid two-way center. What Cleveland has lacked in playoff series after playoff series is a secondary creator who can generate his own offense against a set defense. Harden is exactly that, even at 36.
He is not the MVP-caliber version of himself anymore, but he has adapted. He is more of a pick-and-roll operator, a smart passer, and a foul-drawing off-hand scorer than the drive-and-kick engine he was in Houston. Paired with Mitchell in the backcourt, and paired with Mobley in the frontcourt, Harden becomes a lever the Cavs can pull when the offense goes stale.
The LeBron piece hangs over this too. Cleveland made public overtures about James coming back to close out his career. That door is now closed with LeBron going to Philadelphia. Retaining Harden is Cleveland’s counter-move to the East getting even more top-heavy with the 76ers stacking Brown, Embiid, and LeBron.
The East is going to be a bloodbath. The Celtics are in transition. The 76ers are all-in. The Knicks are trying to defend their title. The Cavs need Harden to be at his best, and to be available, to have a chance to make real noise.
Signing him up for two more years is the right move. Now the question is whether Cleveland can build the right supporting cast around him before opening night.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
