The Cleveland Cavaliers are betting big on James Harden, and not everyone is sold on the move.
Cleveland re-signed Harden to a three-year, $97 million contract, but Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes believes the deal “could go horribly wrong.” In his view, the risk comes from where Harden is in his career and how much pressure now sits on the Cavaliers.
“What could go wrong? The natural aging curve could make Harden less available and less effective defensively, while his history of trade demands and postseason disappointments adds further risk,” Hughes wrote.
“Harden remains a very useful offensive player, and he's as durable as any late-30s star can be. But we know things tend to end badly when he sours on his circumstances, and Cleveland's championship-or-bust posture only further pressurizes the environment.
Before this three-year deal is over, we're going to be reminded of why it's been so long since someone invested this heavily in Harden.”
The Cavaliers landed Harden from the LA Clippers last season, and he delivered steady production. In the regular season, he averaged 20.5 points and 7.7 assists per game. In the playoffs, those numbers were 19.2 points and 5.5 assists per game.
Cleveland’s run last season ended in the Eastern Conference Finals, where the New York Knicks swept them after the Cavaliers had beaten the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons to get there. It was Cleveland’s first trip to the conference finals since 1992 without LeBron James on the roster.
Harden’s résumé is already stacked with individual honors, even if the championship box remains unchecked. He has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Clippers and Cavaliers.
Across his career, he has averages of 24.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.3 assists in the regular season, plus 22.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists in the playoffs. He is still chasing his first NBA title after reaching the Finals in 2012 with the Thunder, who fell to LeBron and the Miami Heat in five games.
The 11-time All-Star and eight-time All-NBA selection also owns a Sixth Man of the Year award from 2011-12 and an MVP from 2017-18. He was named a top-75 player of all time.
Cleveland also added Watson in a separate move, acquiring him from the Denver Nuggets in a sign-and-trade deal after LeBron signed with Philadelphia. Harden recruited Watson to the Cavaliers, and Watson signed a four-year, $88 million contract that includes a player option and a trade kicker.
Last season in Denver, Watson averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 49.1% from the field, 41.1% from 3-point range and 73.0% from the free-throw line. He is regarded as one of the league’s top two-way wings.
The Cavaliers open the season on the road against LeBron and the 76ers.
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The debate gets interesting because both sides can talk themselves into the basketball fit, even if the idea lives entirely in hypotheticals. Cleveland would be weighing whether to move off a proven defensive anchor for a higher-variance offensive swing, while the Bulls would be asking how much patience they have for Buzelis to reach his ceiling. Nothing about this points to real negotiations, but it is the kind of thought experiment that exposes just how delicate the balance is when a team starts wondering whether its best long-term answer is already in hand. [Read more 🡒]
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LeBrons Latest Health Concern Changes Clevelands Biggest What-If
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