Cavaliers' James Harden Ranked 30th-Best Player in NBA by Bleacher Report

Bleacher Report believes Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden is the 30th-best player in the NBA. 

Harden is one spot ahead of Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves and one spot behind Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams. 

The Cavaliers acquired Harden from the LA Clippers last season. 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.

Cleveland defeated the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons to reach the Eastern Conference Finals last season for the first time since 1992 without LeBron James on the roster.

The New York Knicks, who won the 2026 championship against the San Antonio Spurs, swept the Cavaliers in the conference finals.

Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson will start Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Peyton Watson, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen this season. On paper, that's a talented starting five. 

Cleveland acquired Watson from the Denver Nuggets in a sign-and-trade deal. Harden recruited Watson to the Cavaliers. 

One of the best players in NBA history, Harden has played for the Thunder, Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Clippers and Cavaliers. He holds career averages of 24.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game in the regular season and 22.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game in the playoffs.

A top-75 player of all time, Harden has made 11 All-Star teams and eight All-NBA teams. He won the 2011-12 Sixth Man of the Year award with the Thunder and the 2017-18 MVP award with the Rockets.

The Cavaliers begin this season on the road against LeBron and the 76ers. That will be an electric atmosphere.  

It would have been fun to watch LeBron play with Harden, Mitchell, Mobley and Allen, but The King decided to sign a two-year deal with the 76ers to play with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown.

It will be fascinating to see if Harden wins an NBA title before retiring. He made the NBA Finals in 2012, a series the Thunder lost to LeBron and the Miami Heat in five games. 

Cleveland re-signed Harden to a three-year, $97 million contract this offseason. Harden will make $30,647,619 this season and $32,180,000 next season. He has a player option worth $33,712,381 for the 2028-29 season. 

Harden is eighth in NBA history in triple-doubles, 12th in assists, second in 3-pointers and ninth in points. He will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer one day.