James Harden will become the fourth basketball player with the highest cumulative earnings in history
"The Beard" will remain in Cleveland for three more seasons, the third as a player option
He was one of the most attractive free agents on the market, although no one expected him to change scenery. And he won’t. James Harden , after declining his player option in June and $42 million, reached an agreement with the Cavs to remain with the team for the next three seasons on a $97 million contract . The third season will be a player option.
The deal will make " The Beard " the fourth player to have earned the most money in NBA history. In fact, he will be the fourth to surpass the $500 million earned mark over the course of a career (511 for "The Beard"), after LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry.
In a few days, on August 26, Harden will turn 37 and could extend his career until 40 if he fulfills his entire contract with Cleveland. He is the second player in history to sign a contract guaranteed for more than 90 million at age 37 . The other, of course, was LeBron . In addition, "The Beard," who is beginning his 18th season in the NBA, could round out his career with 20 active seasons.
Harden , instead of preferring the 42 million from his final year, chose to work with the Cavs on two scenarios, a two-year contract and a three-year one, the latter as a player option, which is the one that has prevailed. In addition, the waiting period has allowed the Cavs to work on the rest of their roster. The chosen option allows the Cavs to pay Harden over three years instead of two and thus be able to stay below the first and second aprons in the salary cap.
If "The Beard" lives up to his track record, the Cavs will not finish with a losing record in the regular season ; Harden has never done so with any of the teams he has played for. But that is an easy prediction to make for a team that aspires to everything in the East.
