Up to 3 Years, $96.7 Million! Cavaliers Officially Extend James Harden: He Will Team Up With Mitchell Again to Chase the Championship

The Cavaliers officially announced on September 9 that the team has reached a multi-year contract extension agreement with guard James Harden. According to renowned reporter Shams, the deal is for three years with a total value of $97 million, including a player option in the third year and a 15% trade guarantee. A salary cap expert later pointed out that after waiving Whitmore and signing Diop to a minimum contract, the Cavaliers could offer Harden a maximum of a three-year, $96.7 million deal. In the new season, Harden will team up with Mitchell again to make another run at the championship.

If Harden had chosen his original player option, he would have earned $42.3 million in the 2026-27 season. However, he chose this long-term contract worth nearly $30 million less. By taking a reduced salary, the Cavaliers were able to avoid luxury tax restrictions while also creating conditions for a sign-and-trade acquisition of Payton Watson during this offseason.

The 1.96-meter tall and 100-kilogram Harden played in 70 games last season, including 44 appearances for the Los Angeles Clippers and 26 for the Cavaliers. He averaged 34.8 minutes per game, recording 23.6 points, 8.0 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.13 steals, while shooting a career-high 88.4% from the free-throw line. As a veteran who has spent 17 years in the league, he recorded 20 double-doubles and two triple-doubles in a single season, while also making 215 three-pointers, ranking 15th in the league last season. This was the eighth season of his career with at least 200 three-pointers made. In his 26 games with Cleveland, Harden averaged 20.5 points, 7.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 33.8 minutes per game.

Since the Cavaliers acquired Harden via trade on February 4, 2026, the team has posted a 19-7 record in games he played. Harden helped the Cavaliers reach the Eastern Conference Finals, marking the ninth conference finals appearance in franchise history. In the 2026 playoffs, Harden played 18 games, averaging 37.3 minutes, 19.2 points, 5.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.72 steals. It marked his 17th consecutive season reaching the playoffs, making him one of only five players in NBA history to achieve that feat.

Entering his 18th NBA season, Harden has played 1,221 regular-season games in his career, representing the Thunder, Rockets, Nets, 76ers, Clippers and Cavaliers. His career regular-season averages are 34.8 minutes, 24.0 points, 7.3 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.47 steals per game. He is also one of the five players in NBA history to average at least 24 points and 7 assists per game. He has accumulated 82 triple-doubles and 409 double-doubles in his career. In addition, the three-time NBA scoring champion has recorded 783 games with 20-plus points, 344 games with 30-plus points, 107 games with 40-plus points, 25 games with 50-plus points and four games with 60-plus points, with all categories ranking among the top 15 in NBA history.

Harden has appeared in 191 playoff games to date, ranking third among active players in playoff appearances. In his playoff career, he has averaged 22.2 points, 6.4 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.64 steals in 36.3 minutes per game. He reached the NBA Finals with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012 and has advanced to the conference finals multiple times, including with the Thunder in 2011 and 2012, the Rockets in 2015 and 2018, and the Cavaliers in 2026.