Why hasn't James Harden signed a new deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers yet?
Cleveland Cavaliers insider Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com provided an important James Harden contract update.
Harden remains an unrestricted free agent and we're in the second week of August. The future Hall of Famer declined his player option for next season and told Cleveland he would sign his new deal after the team got LeBron James, Jonathan Kuminga, Peyton Watson or DeMar DeRozan.
However, the Cavaliers didn't get LeBron -- he went to the Philadelphia 76ers -- and there has been no movement on Kuminga, Watson or DeRozan.
So where does that leave Harden?
"I don't sense any kind of situation between the Cavs and James where talks are going to break down or talks are going to get so bad that there's going to be bad blood between James and the organization or James' camp and the organization," Fedor said. "Everybody understands the financial aspect of things related to James and I think everybody understands how James and what contract he ultimately signs with the Cavs is tied to the kind of activity that the Cavs can make this offseason and the kind of improvements that they can make as a team."
The Cavaliers made the conference finals last season, losing to the New York Knicks in four quick games. Harden averaged 20.5 points and 7.7 assists per game for Cleveland in the regular season and 19.2 points and 5.5 assists per game in the playoffs. The 2017-18 MVP still hasn't won a championship.
Harden and the Cavaliers got good news this week, as the misdemeanor unlawful carrying of weapons charge Harden was hit with, stemming from his June arrest, was dropped Thursday, according to court records reviewed by The California Post.
Harris County, Texas, prosecutors wrote in a motion to dismiss the case that they were seeking to dispose of the matter after Harden had completed an “alternative resolution agreement.”
The Cavaliers did sign Mario Hezonja after LeBron went to the 76ers. The next step is to re-sign Harden, who has career averages of 24.0 points and 7.3 assists per game.
Cleveland is running it back next season with its core of Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. We'll see if that group can get over the hump in the 2027 playoffs.
