Sources: Cavs expected to sign James Harden to 2-year deal this offseason

The Cleveland Cavaliers are expected to sign James Harden to a two-year deal this offseason, sources told Cavaliers Nation.

Harden is expected to decline his player option for next season and re-sign with the Cavaliers, who acquired the future Hall of Famer from the Los Angeles Clippers on February 4.

Harden has a player option for next season worth $42.3 million. However, his salary is guaranteed only at $13.3 million.

One source told Cavaliers Nation that he thinks Cleveland and Harden could agree to a two-year, $75 million deal, with a player option for the 2027-28 season.

One of the greatest players in NBA history, Harden has appeared in 19 games with the Cavaliers since the blockbuster trade with the Clippers. The one-time MVP is averaging 21.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game in a Cleveland uniform while shooting 48.2 percent from the field, 45.2 percent from beyond the arc and 82.9 percent from the free-throw line.

The Cavaliers are 14-5 with Harden in the lineup. Harden and Donovan Mitchell have already developed a close relationship, and both All-Stars are motivated to win their first NBA championship together this season, sources said.

Even if Cleveland wins it all this year, Harden and Mitchell are expected to recruit LeBron James back home this offseason, sources said. James, the greatest player in Cavaliers franchise history, becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason for the first time since 2018.

If James doesn’t retire from the NBA this summer, he’s expected to re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers or return to the Cavaliers, sources said.

It will be fascinating to see how far the Wine and Gold go in the 2026 playoffs with Harden, Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen leading the way. The Cavaliers haven’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs since 2018.

Harden has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Clippers and Cavaliers. He reached the NBA Finals in 2012 with the Thunder, who lost to James and the Miami Heat in five games.