For the fourth year in a row, the Cleveland Cavaliers enter the offseason with questions of whether they'll blow things up after their latest playoff disappointment. In spite of that, it's sounding increasingly likely that their big midseason acquisition, James Harden, will be sticking in Cleveland long-term.
After running it back each of the last three years -- with the exception of firing J.B. Bickerstaff to hire Kenny Atkinson after the 2023-24 season -- Cleveland finally tried shaking things up at the deadline this year when they traded Darius Garland to the Clippers for Harden. The Cavs putting their hopes of turning around their postseason fortunes on the shoulders of James Harden, the literal face of playoff underachievement for the past decade, drew plenty of jokes at the time. That chatter only grew louder after the conference finals beatdown at the hands of the Knicks. The series flipped in Game 1 when the Knicks and Jalen Brunson mercilessly hunted Harden in the fourth quarter and overtime of their historic comeback win.
Despite the outside noise, Harden told reporters after the Game 4 loss that he "100%" wanted to be back in Cleveland, which is the expectation from the Cavs side as well. Harden has a $42.3 million player option for the 2026-27 season, but he could turn it down and sign a new contract for more years and a lower average annual value. A move like that would help the Cavs -- the NBA's most expensive team in 2025-26 -- dip under the NBA's restrictive second salary apron.
"James Harden is going to be a Cav next year," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on Tuesday. "He's going to sign a new contract, in all likelihood. He's going to opt out of his contract and sign a new deal, and that new deal will probably be structured in a way that will allow the Cavs to dip below the second apron."
Donovan Mitchell likewise affirmed his desire to remain in Cleveland, saying "I love it here" and insisting there's "unfinished business" he needs to handle with the Cavs. For as much as their two backcourt stars want to stick around and make another run next year, it's hard to imagine the Cavs being willing to simply run it back.
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Reaching the Eastern Conference Finals was a step in the right direction for the Cavs, but ending up on the wrong side of a historic sweep at the hands of the New York Knicks prevented Cleveland from taking anything positive away from this year's playoff run. Dipping below the second apron with a new deal for Harden would allow Cleveland to enter the trade market and try to add another star piece. If the Cavs are indeed committed to a Harden-Mitchell backcourt again in 2026-27, that would mean Jarrett Allen and/or Evan Mobley would have to be the players discussed in a deal.
The Cavs have long insisted they don't have interest in moving Mobley, but another postseason with inconsistent impact from the former DPOY might change their tune this summer -- especially if Giannis Antetokounmpo is attainable. Antetokounmpo's future looms over every major deal that could get done this summer. If the Cavs can't land the former two-time MVP, they'll have to shift to Plan B or C in trying to build around Harden and Mitchell. There's also the potential for a homecoming for LeBron James, although it's unclear exactly what kind of contract the 41-year-old would command to finish his career where it all started in Cleveland.
The reality in Cleveland is that there isn't a true blow-it-up option that yields a contender next year. As a result, their best bet is dipping under the second apron with a new Harden contract and hoping they can find the right combination around a Harden-Mitchell backcourt to challenge in the East again in 2027. Many would say that's simply not possible, but Cleveland could point to similar conversations around the Knicks coming into this season regarding whether you could build a legit contender around Jalen Brunson as your top star.
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