The Cleveland Cavaliers have re-signed James Harden to a 3-year $97 million contract, with a player option for the third year and a trade kicker. This deal makes Harden the fourth NBA player to reach $500 million in career earnings, alongside LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry.

What This Means For Cleveland

The starting lineup seems to be set with the addition of Peyton Watson. Donovan Mitchell will pair up with Harden in the back court with the same frontcourt of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Harden's relationship with Koby Altman and the front office looks to be good as he was willing to take less money and wait on the deal to help improve the team. The Cleveland Cavaliers have lost their last 5 games, including a 93-130 loss to the New York Knicks on 2026-05-26.

Harden's Role With the Team

He does not have to be in that 2018 MVP form, but if he can go out and make plays for Donovan Mitchell and lessen his workload, then everything gets easier. Donovan Mitchell was tired at the end of the season, everybody could see it. Trading for Harden was meant to lessen the offensive work on Mitchell to allow him to work more off the ball and get open rather than dribbling up the court every play.

What Comes Next?

The NBA season for the Cavs begins October 22nd when they head to Philadelphia to take on the new look 76ers with LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to improve their recent form, which has seen them lose their last 5 games, with their new roster, including James Harden and Peyton Watson. And with Harden now re-signed, the team looks like they can certainly compete with the likes of New York and Philly. But the team still needs to work on their communication, which was a problem last season, with many instances of bad turnovers due to poor communication. So the team will look to improve their communication and work together to achieve their goals. The Cleveland Cavaliers have a tough road ahead, but with their new roster, they are looking to make a push for the playoffs, and with James Harden leading the team, they have a good chance of succeeding.