Cavs, James Harden still expected to work out new deal

Nothing appears to have changed when it comes to James Harden’s future with the Cavaliers.

As Ashish Mathur of Cavs Roundtable recently noted, citing previous reporting from ESPN, Harden is still widely expected to return to Cleveland on a new multi-year contract this offseason.

Harden holds a player option worth roughly $42 million for next season, though the expectation around the league has long been that he will decline that option and work with the Cavs on a new agreement.

The veteran guard arrived in Cleveland at the February trade deadline and immediately helped stabilize the backcourt alongside Donovan Mitchell.

The Cavs went on to reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2018 before being swept by the Knicks.

Following the season, Harden made it clear he would welcome the opportunity to continue what he started in Cleveland.

“Definitely want to be here,” Harden told reporters after the playoff loss. “I think we found something.”

That’s one reason there has been little indication of concern from either side.

While the Cavs are expected to explore roster upgrades this summer and will undoubtedly continue to be linked to names such as LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, bringing back Harden has consistently been viewed as one of the organization’s top offseason priorities.

The future Hall of Famer averaged 20.5 points and 7.7 assists after joining Cleveland, giving the Cavs another playmaker alongside Mitchell.

Of course, nothing is official until paperwork is signed.

But as Mathur noted, and as league insiders have continued to indicate, all signs still point toward Harden remaining in Cleveland for the foreseeable future.