Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman met with the media on Friday for an exit interview, and the presser produced a ton of different takeaways, with James Harden being among the most interesting topics.
Harden's reputation among Cavs fans right now isn't amazing. While Cavs Nation was undeniably galvanized by the boost that Harden provided Cleveland when he came over via trade in the middle of the season for Darius Garland, the Cavs' playoff flameout in the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks was perhaps best symbolized by Harden's complete inability to defend Jalen Brunson in a Game 1 collapse (Kenny Atkinson was very much at fault for that choke job, as well).
Cavs fans aren't over the moon about James Harden returning
Harden will be 37 years old in August. By all accounts, the Cavaliers are expected to re-sign Harden to a multi-year contract once he opts out of his player option for 2026-27. This will allow Cleveland to pay Harden a lower AAV next season (and moving forward) than his $42.3 figure, thus giving the Cavs a bit of breathing room as they seek to escape the second apron.
Harden's return might make sense from a financial perspective, but does it make sense from a basketball standpoint? The idea of rolling with Harden and Donovan Mitchell in your backcourt -- after seeing how exposed this pairing leaves you defensively -- is definitely a questionable move from the Cavs' front office.
Then again, Altman made a good point about Harden during Friday's interview -- the Cavs don't need Harden to be an alpha, prime-aged superstar for Cleveland to be the best version of itself. That's not why they acquired him.
Koby Altman just explained why the Cavs acquired James Harden, and it made a lot of sense
"We are hopeful he comes back," Altman said of Harden. "He's remarkable for us. We didn't trade for MVP James Harden. We traded for James Harden at the end of his career, [who] has transformed himself into becoming one of the best point guards in the league. He helped stabilize us. He helped re-galvanize the group. We were kinda shaky [before his arrival] ... When he came on board, he gave us a real belief and swagger."
Altman also asserted that the Cavs would not have made it to the Eastern Conference Finals without Harden's contributions. This was a solid moment from Altman that saw him not only defending his player but also explaining in realistic terms the expectations for the Harden trade.
Of course, by being realistic about James Harden, one begins to understand that Donovan Mitchell simply needs to be better than he was this postseason for the Cavs to win a championship. And with Mitchell about to enter his thirties as a small-ish guard, there are a ton of question marks about whether his best days as an NBA superstar are behind or ahead of him. if the Cavs fall short again next season, it'll once again be because Mitchell isn't that guy.
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