According to the NBA's own research, the average length of an NBA career is just around 4.5 years. James Harden, as you may know by now, is no ordinary player. He's still going strong at 36 years young.
Harden is still an effective three-level scorer and playmaker in his 17th season. It's not usual to see a team trade a 26-year-old All-Star for a player a decade older, but Harden's arrival has taken the Cavaliers to a different tier.
Nevertheless, all good things eventually come to an end, and Harden's career won't be the exception to that rule. When asked about retirement, the former MVP had a candid response to HoopsHype insider Micahel Scotto.
James Harden knows he's inching closer to the end of his career
“I know it’s coming soon,“ Harden admitted. “Everybody has to go through it at some point. But for me hopefully just trying to continue to keep my body in shape and play well. ... We’ll see what happens in the next few years. But take it one game at a time and cherish the moments.”
We've seen players spend close to two decades at a high level, but that's the exception, not the rule. As great a player as Harden is, and as durable as he's been for most of his career, it's hard to envision him playing for five or six more years like LeBron James.
That, of course, puts the Cavaliers in a tough spot. Trading for an aging player always comes with plenty of risks, as they might be an injury away from never returning to full strength or from just calling it quits.
Trading for Harden raised the Cavaliers' ceiling, but it also shortened their title window. They will have one or two years to get over the top before reassessing their roster and maybe even going through a full-scale rebuild.
The Cavs needed to do something to convince Donovan Mitchell to stay in Cleveland for a little longer. They got him a prime sidekick, and he should be leaning toward signing a contract extension in the offseason.
Then again, he should also know that the clock is ticking. He's under heavy fire for never making it past the second round of the playoffs, and he might choose to bolt if he doesn't think this team can get the monkey off its back with an aging Harden by his side.