[Shams] Harden back to CLE, 3 years $97M

gswhoops · Post #1 » by **gswhoops** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 5:03 pm

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Post #2 » by **Mavrelous** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 5:06 pm

1 year too long...

gswhoops · Post #3 » by **gswhoops** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 5:16 pm

Mavrelous wrote:1 year too long...

Plus a PO and a trade kicker...Cleveland didn't have any other options but this is going to haunt them.

Vae Victus · Post #4 » by **Vae Victus** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 5:19 pm

2 year window at best for CLE

After that.... oof

eminence · Post #5 » by **eminence** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 5:20 pm

Don't like it, lots of money for a guy already solidly into his decline.

Cleveland needs Mobley to take a jump.

ThatBoyNick · Post #6 » by **ThatBoyNick** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 5:27 pm

James has aged well and this contract is going to stay under 20% of the cap, good deal for both sides imo.

tester551 · Post #7 » by **tester551** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 5:29 pm

How is Cleveland completing this?
With the Watson S&T -> they will be hard-capped at the 1st apron.

My calcs prior to this announcement were that the Cavs were ~$22M below the 1 apron. That is too low of a starting salary to get to 3/$97M.

MartinToVaught · Post #8 » by **MartinToVaught** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 5:34 pm

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Over $500 million in career earnings for a resume as thin as Harden's when it matters most is crazy work.

jayjaysee · Post #9 » by **jayjaysee** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 5:36 pm

tester551 wrote:How is Cleveland completing this?
With the Watson S&T -> they will be hard-capped at the 1st apron.

My calcs prior to this announcement were that the Cavs were ~$22M below the 1 apron. That is too low of a starting salary to get to 3/$97M.

Not real math, but stretching Cam and only running 14 players should get them to 29 mil first year?

jayjaysee · Post #10 » by **jayjaysee** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 5:43 pm

I feel like this was set months ago and they were always going to have to pay him to give up the 12 mil this season.

Not sure I love it even if you factor in that discount.. but it locks talent up for the next two years and then you likely trade him when he opts in for a long term bad contract for a more useful piece or add assets to get a better option.

Feel like Cleveland has a really strong team locked up. Would love to see Dennis traded for a good backup forward somehow.

toooskies · Post #11 » by **toooskies** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 5:46 pm

Any reports on whether the third year is fully guaranteed or if it’s structured like his last contract was, with a player option but only a partial guarantee?

bgrep14 · Post #12 » by **bgrep14** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 5:57 pm

Trade kicker can be waived if he wants to go somewhere else. Honestly you need salary to trade players and by year three if he's worthless they can stretch him or use him as an expiring as part of a trade. Most people with his production and statistics are making closer to 40-50M a year so it's not bad just got to find a way to keep him motivated and in shape.

Devilanche · Post #13 » by **Devilanche** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 6:03 pm

jayjaysee wrote:I feel like this was set months ago and they were always going to have to pay him to give up the 12 mil this season.

Not sure I love it even if you factor in that discount.. but it locks talent up for the next two years and then you likely trade him when he opts in for a long term bad contract for a more useful piece or add assets to get a better option.

Feel like Cleveland has a really strong team locked up. Would love to see Dennis traded for a good backup forward somehow.

Did you mean cam whitmore as the good forward or his salary slot traded for a good forward ?

Dennis schroder was already traded in an earlier deal (now expanded)

https://www.nba.com/news/charlotte-cleveland-trade-schroder-mann

Scoot McGroot · Post #14 » by **Scoot McGroot** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 6:13 pm

It’s fine. A little high, and maybe one year too much, for his age, but James is James. He’ll be fine enough. And he could’ve really hamstrung them more on this, as Cleveland didn't have a lot of options but to pay him what he wants.

Alright. Let’s roll up the carpet. Offseason is over. Finish up your other business and let’s come back in October.

Post #15 » by **Texas Chuck** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 6:37 pm

Yep, its fine and they had to do it. And for all his playoff flaws, he's still the better option over the Spida window than Garland would have been. Disagree strongly with jbk on that.

The roster is still flawed, but that's not Harden's fault. And he will help them with playoff seeding.

Bentley1225 · Post #16 » by **Bentley1225** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 6:53 pm

I guess they were going to pay him whatever as long as they stayed under 2nd apron.

4 years, $100 million with 4th year a team option with $6 million guaranteed (3 years, $81 million - 25/25/25/6) was my guess. He's got a solid 2 years left in the tank. All depends what he has left at 39.

jbk1234 · Post #17 » by **jbk1234** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 7:17 pm

What an absurd contract. That last year better only be guaranteed $1.00.

BK_2020 · Post #18 » by **BK_2020** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 7:32 pm

Getting Harden for just 50% more than a Coby White or a Dosunmu is an incredible bargain.

gswhoops · Post #19 » by **gswhoops** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 7:42 pm

jbk1234 wrote:What an absurd contract. That last year better only be guaranteed $1.00.

It's a player option...

jbk1234 · Post #20 » by **jbk1234** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 7:45 pm

gswhoops wrote:
jbk1234 wrote:What an absurd contract. That last year better only be guaranteed $1.00.

It's a player option...

He had a P.O. this summer but was only guaranteed for $16 of the $41M owed. It's why the pay-cut spin was nonsense.