For a team that made it to the Eastern Conference Final but looked incredibly outmatched against the eventual champion New York Knicks, the Cleveland Cavaliers have had a pretty quiet offseason up to this point.

Maybe there’s a reason for that, though.

If the Cavaliers intend to make even minor roster moves, there are some pieces that must take shape first, and some of those dominoes started to fall on Monday.

Early on Monday morning, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that James Harden chose to decline his $42.3 million player option for the 2026-27 season, making him an unrestricted free agent. 

Even though Harden is now technically a free agent, the Cavaliers are expected to re-sign Harden to a new multi-year deal, as Shams alluded to in his initial report.

Harden opting out, but re-signing a multi-year, more team-friendly contract has been something hinted at since the offseason began. 

Where it gets interesting is what that potential new deal could look like and how much it will cost. The Athletic’s Joe Vardon reported on Monday that Harden’s salary is expected to drop, and he could make anywhere between $32 to $38 million annually. 

If this proves to be the case and Harden’s salary decreases by this much, Cleveland could avoid the second apron, opening up other avenues via trade or free agency to improve or change the roster.

It certainly feels like Harden was always expected to return, and now that he has declined his player option, the Cavaliers can focus on re-signing the veteran guard and see what his potential new deals allow the front office to do.

The Cavaliers needed to address their frontcourt depth, especially after not selecting a center in the NBA Draft last week. 

Cleveland did just that on Monday, as Charania also reported that Thomas Bryant is re-signing with the Cavaliers on a one-year deal. The report didn’t specify the contract's dollar amount, but assuming it's the veteran’s minimum, it would be about $3.5 million. 

The veteran center appeared in 60 games last season and averaged 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. 

The Cavaliers are bringing back a familiar face in Thomas, who proved serviceable in his role and was also a popular presence in the locker room, and it is a good move for Cleveland. 

Now that the Cavaliers know they’ll have a backup big behind Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, the front office can shift its focus to the wing situation or other routes to improve the team. 

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