The Cleveland Cavaliers do not yet know how their season will end, but they appear ready to commit to James Harden.
The Cavaliers plan to negotiate a multi-year deal with Harden once the season ends, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. That decision was essentially made when the team chose to trade for him.
One of the reasons Harden wanted to leave the Los Angeles Clippers was their unwillingness to commit to him long-term. That was not a problem for the Cavaliers, who are expected to make the deal after he declines his player option for next season.
There is risk in committing to Harden, who turns 37 in August. He has a long history of playoff struggles, though he has shown signs of breaking out of that during the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Still, he has fit in well enough in Cleveland, and he averaged 20.5 points and 7.7 assists per game for the Cavaliers in the regular season after they acquired him.
The Cavaliers will presumably feel a lot better about their future if they win Sunday’s Game 7 in Detroit. If not, expect all the old questions about Harden and his playoff production to come back.