Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Jaylen Brown… Many NBA stars have been traded or signed with new teams; yet the one who remains ‘free’ is James Harden, who, despite having decided to stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers, has fallen victim to the financial vicissitudes of Ohio.
Under the commitment to keep the group together, the Cavs made it clear to The Beard that before finalizing his extension—talks center on two guaranteed years for around 25/30 million dollars per year—they would need to shape other moves that would help them strengthen the roster. The decisive step has arrived with the arrival of Peyton Watson via trade.
According to Marc Stein, Watson’s arrival in Cleveland also implies that Harden’s new contract is around the corner; so close that one could use the expression soon-ish to define the proximity of the deal’s official status.
The truth is that the Cavaliers of the 2026-27 season are going to resemble the ones from the previous year closely. Alongside Harden, Donovan Mitchell will be leading the team, while the third star—and with the anticipated step forward increasingly distant from reality—will be Evan Mobley.
