Cleveland Cavaliers fans are down in the dumps right now after a soul-crushing sweep at the hands of the New York Knicks. Any goodwill that the Cavs established with their fan base was washed away by a gutless showing in the Eastern Conference Finals, which never felt like a competitive series after the Cavaliers choked away a 22-point lead in Game 1.
Cavaliers fans are even more depressed about what's widely expected to be an extension for James Harden this offseason. More postseason flameouts for Harden in a Cavs uniform coming your way soon! Yay!
But here's the thing: The Cavaliers don't have to commit to a future with Harden, even if they've promised exactly that. This is the cruel world of pro sports, where winning means more than loyalty. Even if, say, president of basketball operations Koby Altman pledged to Harden's camp that Cleveland would extend Harden, who cares? Things have changed. Like a basketball vampire, Harden keeps sucking the competitive blood out of each franchise he joins, getting rich along the way. Good for him. Get your money. But the Cavs can choose to stay out of the whole ordeal. There's still time.
Cavaliers front office can win back fans by ditching the James Harden experiment
How refreshing would it be for Cavaliers fans to see the team toss aside Harden and decide that he's no longer the guy they want? Even if this happened in tandem with a complete rebuild around Evan Mobley (or one around Donovan Mitchell, with Mobley getting traded), fans would smile at the notion of Harden being shown the door.
Doesn't Altman and the rest of Cleveland's front office see it? It's right in front of them, clear as day -- an opportunity to re-generate some fan interest that was just lost ... dump Harden! Do it as soon as possible! I repeat, get out of the James Harden business!
What would this look like? A sit-down meeting informing James that an extension is not on the table, which might lead to Harden picking up his player option and becoming a trade chip for any team looking for one year of solid regular season play and zero playoff expectations. Would a bottom-feeder like the Chicago Bulls take on Harden for a season? What about a return to Brooklyn? It's a tough sell, sure, but then again, the Cavs themselves were convinced not long ago that Harden was a viable extension candidate (and still might be!) ... it's not like the guy is completely terrible.
But he's not a playoff riser, and if the Cavs want to actually prove to their fans that they're still serious about chasing a championship, keeping Harden around would be a wildly confusing (and deflating) decision. Do the opposite, Cleveland. Reward your fans. Harden must go.
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