Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden has a player option for next season.
Cleveland Cavaliers star James Harden has a player option for next season worth $42.3 million.
However, his salary for next season is guaranteed only at $13.3 million.
According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, Harden will decline his 2026-27 player option and become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
"Harden has a $42 million player option for next season that he’s likely to decline, a league source said," Katz wrote. "But a longer-term deal at a lesser number still would not be cheap. With today’s rules, with the way high payrolls chip away at resources and wallets, teams can’t stay so expensive while continuing to lose in the second round."
The Cavaliers acquired Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers in the Darius Garland trade. With Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen leading the way, Cleveland is under major pressure to win the championship this season due to how expensive the roster is.
During an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Harden spoke about why he loves playing with Mitchell, who has never been past the second round.
Harden reached the NBA Finals in 2012. He's also been to the conference finals multiple times.
“A star that is unselfish,” Harden said about Mitchell. “He has no problem with giving me the ball or his feel for the game. That is where we complement each other. If I have it going or he has it going, we don’t have any problem letting each other keep going. That is better for our team.
“I’m unselfish. He is unselfish. You have two guys who want to complement each other. That is the most important thing.”
Some people thought Mitchell and Harden wouldn't co-exist since both players are ball-dominant stars. However, Mitchell is averaging 25.7 points per game next to Harden, who is averaging 19.9 points per game alongside Mitchell.
"I’m at a point in my career where I don’t have no pride," Harden said. "I think everybody knows what I want to accomplish. However that looks, whether I’m scoring 25 or dishing out the ball. It’s a game feel. It’s a series feel.”
Most people expect the Cavaliers to re-sign Harden in free agency. However, if Cleveland fails in the 2026 playoffs, Mitchell could be traded and Harden could walk.
The Cavaliers face the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2026 playoffs.
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