It doesn't get much worse than this.
Before Peyton Watson had a chance to look up whether Cleveland has a Chipotle (it does), the Cavaliers took all of the goodwill from finally landing a two-way small forward and flushed it down the drain.
They agreed to a three-year, fully guaranteed $97 million contract with James Harden on Thursday, locking up the 11-time All-Star just six days before his 37th birthday. He will be 39 years old and making $34.7 million in 2028-29.
Congratulations, Koby Altman and company: you just signed the worst contract in the NBA.
James Harden doesn't deserve this contract
NBA Analyst Danny Leroux has a catchphrase for NBA contracts: years, not dollars. Whenever he records his thoughts on this deal, it will likely come up.
James Harden will be 37 years old this year, and 39 by the time this contract ends. LeBron James may be resetting our idea of how well players can perform late into their careers, but the reality is that the end comes quickly for players, even perennial stars.
Harden was no longer playing at an All-Star level; he was an above-average starter who got much worse in the postseason last season, and he will likely take an even further step down as he nears 40. The odds of Harden being a high-end starter in three years are extremely low.
There are a handful of young guards on massive contracts, Donovan Mitchell among them, but they are young enough and good enough to make it possible they see the deal through. Their impact in the present can help to offset the long-term hit as well. Devin Booker, De'Aaron Fox, Trae Young -- their deals are way too large, but they are also good players (your mileage may vary on Young).
Joel Embiid has significant injury issues but just dominated the Boston Celtics in a playoff series. Jakob Poeltl's deal is a nightmare, but it has significant non-guarantees. Gary Trent Jr. is being paid $16 million per season for four years because of obvious collusion, but $16 is a lot easier to stomach than $35.
Harden is on his way to being a fringe starter in a couple of years, and yet he will be paid like a star, and on a team that isn't dealing with any financial flexibility. Donovan Mitchell will be making $65.8 million in 2028-29; Evan Mobley has a price tag of $57.5 million. Jarrett Allen will be making $32.5, Peyton Watson another $22.5, and even Sam Merrill is under contract. The Cavs are maxed out.
Is there a way that this deal works out? Frankly....no, there is not. This is an inexplicable amount of money to pay Harden when he is 39 years old, let alone giving him a player option and a trade kicker. This deal is immediately untradeable. No team in the league is trading for Harden on this deal.
Did Harden wait for the Cavaliers to complete their business before signing? Yes, and perhaps he extracted a pound of flesh for his patience. In the end, however, that just means that the Cavaliers have signed Harden to the worst contract in the NBA.
Good feelings? Poof, they're gone.
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