James Harden extends contract with Cleveland Cavaliers for three years, $97 million

Veteran guard James Harden has agreed to a three-year, $97 million contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to U.S. media reports. Harden, who will celebrate his 37th birthday next week, arrived in Cleveland in February via a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers.

His first playoffs with the Cavaliers ended in a disappointing 4-0 sweep by the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. Harden's performance in the playoffs saw a decrease from his regular-season averages of 20.5 points and 7.7 assists, dropping to 19.2 points per game with a 41% field goal percentage and 29.9% from three-point range. He also struggled with turnovers, averaging 4.7 per game.

Despite these concerns and his age, Cleveland is doubling down on the veteran guard. The new contract includes a player option for the third year, offering Harden flexibility. This move comes after Harden declined a $42.3 million player option for the upcoming season in late June, aiming to give the Cavaliers more salary cap flexibility to pursue LeBron James. However, James ultimately chose to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Harden, an 11-time All-Star and three-time NBA scoring champion, was the last American player to win the MVP award in the 2017-2018 season.