DHJ Quick Take: Harden’s Contract Plans
- New Deal Expected: The Cavaliers plan to negotiate a new contract to retain James Harden this offseason, with the veteran guard widely anticipated to decline his player option to secure a fresh deal.
- Strong Initial Fit: Following his acquisition from the Clippers in the Darius Garland trade, Harden averaged 20.5 points and 7.7 assists over 26 regular-season games with Cleveland.
- Playoff Success: Harden’s smooth on-court integration alongside Donovan Mitchell has helped fuel a deep postseason run, leading Mitchell to the conference finals for the first time in his career.
The Cleveland Cavaliers plan to work out a new deal to retain James Harden this offseason, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
Harden is widely expected to decline his player option for next season and sign a new contract with the Cavaliers, who acquired the future Hall of Famer from the Los Angeles Clippers in the Darius Garland trade.
Cleveland defeated the Toronto Raptors in the first round of this year’s playoffs in seven games and the Detroit Pistons in the second round in seven games. Harden and Co. will face the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
A three-time scoring champion, Harden appeared in 26 regular-season games with the Cavaliers after the Clippers traded him. He averaged 20.5 points and 7.7 assists per game and meshed well with Donovan Mitchell, who is in the conference finals for the first time in his NBA career.
Harden is still searching for his first NBA championship. He hasn’t been to the NBA Finals since 2012. The Oklahoma City Thunder lost to the Miami Heat in the 2012 NBA Finals in five games. Harden reached the Western Conference Finals twice with the Houston Rockets, losing to the Golden State Warriors both times.
An 11-time All-Star, Harden turns 37 in August. He’s been traded by every team he’s played for. The 2017-18 MVP has played for the Thunder, Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Clippers and Cavaliers. He is arguably the greatest player in NBA history to not win a championship.
Harden holds career averages of 24.0 points and 7.3 assists per game in the regular season and 22.3 points and 6.5 assists per game in the playoffs. It will be fascinating to see if the Cavaliers can beat the Knicks and advance to the 2026 NBA Finals, where they would face the Thunder or San Antonio Spurs.
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