The Cleveland Cavaliers have been at the center of attention for the last couple of days. They completed a sign-and-trade for Peyton Watson in a five-team deal that ended with Max Strus going to the LA Clippers. Then, just one day later, the Cavs re-signed James Harden, making it painfully clear that he was just waiting for another show to drop.
Harden was always going to re-sign with the Cavs. He just wanted to help them maintain the right amount of flexibility to make a push toward improvement. Since he waited to re-sign, the Cavs were able to freely pursue LeBron James and some other trade opportunities, which ultimately ended in the move for Watson.
So, the Cavaliers should be grateful that Harden was clearly willing to wait things out, because that means, at the end of the day, he wanted what’s best for the team.
James Harden's delayed signing helped Cavaliers' Peyton Watson trade
Without Harden taking a long wait to re-up with the Cavaliers, they may not have been able to strike a deal with the Denver Nuggets. And they wouldn’t have been able to make a big-time addition to the team.
Watson is almost certainly going to be the Cavs’ fifth starter this upcoming season, playing right alongside Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.
He showed enough potential last year to warrant a team taking a chance on him, and ultimately, that team was the Cavs. His defense and three-point shooting will be very valuable.
Cleveland handed him a four-year $88 million contract, meaning he’ll make around $22 million annually. That’s slightly more than Max Strus’ $16.7 million, but Cleveland can swing it.
Since Harden waited to re-sign, he was able to re-sign for a number that will help the Cavs stay under the second apron. That means the Cavs won’t have to worry about those penalties for now.
Harden re-upped on a three-year, $97 million contract. That’s around $32.3 million annually, and his first year will probably be a bit less than $30 million.
With that, the Cavaliers will be pressed right up against the second apron, perhaps with just enough flexibility to sign a minimum-contract player to fill out their roster.
And again, they have Harden to thank for that. His willingness to wait, bide his time, and re-sign for a number that made sense for the team was genuinely helpful.
Cleveland will be much better off because of that decision.
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