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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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The Cleveland Cavaliers and James Harden are reportedly working towards a new multiyear deal to keep him on the roster as they compete in the Eastern Conference and the NBA postseason.
According to ESPN's NBA insider Shams Charania, Harden is declining his $42.3 million player option for the 2026-27 season, as the two sides are going to work on getting a new deal done.
Harden was a key piece of the Cavaliers' aspirations to contend this past season, as they attempted to create a strong backcourt featuring All-Star Donovan Mitchell and Harden.
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The team finished at 52-30, fourth in the Eastern Conference behind the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Detroit Pistons. Despite advancing past the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, and then the No. 1 seed Pistons, the Cavaliers were swept in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Knicks.
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Harden averaged 23.6 points, eight assists, and 4.8 rebounds a game in the regular season. He followed that up in the postseason with averages of 19.2 points, 5.5 assists, and 5.1 rebounds.
Cleveland originally acquired the 2018 NBA MVP Harden in a February trade that sent Darius Garland to the Los Angeles Clippers. The 36-year-old has played in the league since the 2009-10 season, after the Oklahoma City Thunder drafted him.
While Harden had some big performances in the Cavs' playoff series against the Raptors and Pistons this year, he, Mitchell, and their other key players couldn't get it done against the Knicks. New York went on to win the championship behind 6-foot-2 guard Jalen Brunson and a team of key players they acquired via trades after Brunson's arrival.
The Cavs haven't made any serious splashes this offseason, yet. They added Arkansas freshman guard Meleek Thomas in the second round via an NBA Draft trade earlier this month, and seem to be working on retaining most of their core roster.
And along with Harden's imminent deal to remain in Cleveland, speculation continues about LeBron James potentially returning to play out his final season or two before retirement with the team where his career started.
As of this writing, the Cavaliers aren't among the top contenders in the NBA for next year's championship, with odds of +4000 to win the NBA Finals at DraftKings Sportsbook. That's behind 10 other teams, including the East's Knicks, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, and the Miami Heat, who recently landed Giannis Antetokounmpo in a blockbuster trade with the Milwaukee Bucks.
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