Cavs Sign Harden in $97M Deal, Sending Watson to Cavaliers
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Harden agrees to $97M deal to remain with Cavs James Harden has agreed to a new three-year, $97 million contract to remain with the Cavaliers, his agency, Equity Sports, told ESPN on Thursday.
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Yahoo SportsIt's payday for James Harden yet again. The Cleveland Cavaliers gave Harden a new three-year, $97 million deal, according to ESPN's Shams Charania, putting the veteran guard under contract until he's 39 years old. The deal reportedly includes a player option and a trade kicker.
Bleacher ReportHarden and the Cavs agreed to a new three-year, $97 million contract on Thursday, agents Mike Silverman, Troy Payne and Brandon Grier of Equity Sports told ESPN's Shams Charania.. Harden had previously declined his $42.3 million player option for the 2026-27 season before signing the new deal.
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3-team deal sends Watson to Cavs, Strus to Clips The Cavaliers, Nuggets and Clippers have agreed on a trade that will send Peyton Watson to Cleveland and Max Strus to Los Angeles, sources told ESPN.
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SB NationCavs trade grade for Peyton Watson deal Watson signed a new four-year, $88 million deal with a player option to complete his sign-and-trade to Cleveland. The Cavs have been looking for a fifth starter in their “core four” model for years, and in some ways it’s easy to see Watson’s appeal. A 6’8 wing with with a 7’1 wingspan, he’s had a strong defensive reputation as a wing stopper who has often drawn the toughest assignment on the floor during his early years with Denver. His impact numbers don’t necessarily match his reputation — 48th percentile defensive EPM, slight negative defensively in most other metrics — but it still feels like he has a lot of upside on that end now that he’ll have better interior defenders behind him in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Yahoo SportsCleveland has slightly modified its roster after swinging and missing on LeBron James. The Cavaliers gave up Max Strus and a 2031 first-round pick in a trade for emerging forward Peyton Watson yesterday. Tyrese Proctor arrived via the draft while Mario Hezonja signed in free agency after six seasons overseas.
Bleacher ReportPeyton Watson could be another reference point for Hart's representatives. The forward will earn $88 million over four years from the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a sign-and-trade, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
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The Cavs acquired Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for point guard Darius Garland and a second-round draft pick at this season's trade deadline. He helped Cleveland finish fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 52-30 record after averaging 20.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists in 26 regular-season games with his new team.
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Yahoo SportsHarden, who's top four in NBA career earnings ($511 million), arrived to Cleveland in a trade for Darius Garland in February, and over the final 26 games he averaged 20.5 points and 7.7 assists while shooting 43.5% from 3. Donovan Mitchell and Harden began to form legitimate chemistry before Cleveland underwhelmed in the playoffs.
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The Cavaliers have been insistent on building around Mitchell and Evan Mobley, so they didn't have many options other than bringing Harden back. Harden is one of the NBA's most prolific scorers and can give Donovan Mitchell some time off the ball to preserve his energy over a long regular season. It's just fair to question whether Harden's isolation-heavy offensive game and lackluster defensive ability can be hidden in the playoffs at this stage of his career. The deal taking Harden until he's nearly 40 could very well age terribly. GRADE: C
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Bleacher ReportStill, Harden is one of the league's best offensive players, and his presence ensures that Cleveland will remain one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference. He and Mitchell create a talented backcourt duo, and he's shown that he can help elevate the production from big men Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
4 details only one outlet reported
Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
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01 ESPN Grading the Peyton Watson multiteam trade (and more): Which team gets a D? We're grading the biggest NBA trades of the offseason, including the multiteam deal that sent Watson to Cleveland.
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02 Bleacher Report The 2026 free-agent period has seen a whirlwind of action so far, with multiple stars changing teams and available players flying off the board.
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03 Yahoo Sports The Cavs skated by the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons in seven-game series before the New York Knicks swept them in the Eastern Conference Finals. New York attacked Harden defensively and Cleveland didn't have an answer, as evidenced by coach Kenny Atkinson infamously telling reporters his team was winning the series analytically.
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04 SB Nation Cavs acquire: Peyton Watson, Cam Whitmore Nuggets acquire: Cleveland’s unprotected 2031 first-round pick, 2032 Sacramento Kings second-rounder
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Sources (4)
- bleacherreport
- espn
- sbnation
- yahoosports