According to ESPN insider Brian Windhorst, Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden was arrested Saturday and charged with a misdemeanor unlawful carrying a weapon.
Per the report, Harden was taken into custody at 3:41 a.m. and booked at 4:57 a.m. He was released on a $100 bond.
Harden reportedly had an unholstered gun in plain view on the seat of one of his cars.
The Cavaliers have a decision to make about James Harden
This is an ongoing situation, so Harden and the Cavaliers will most likely decline to comment at the moment.
Nevertheless, the team already had a big decision to make about him before this incident, and this likely won’t affect the situation in the slightest.
Harden can decline his $42 million player option to sign another multi-year deal with the Cavaliers.
The Cavs acquired him in a trade involving Darius Garland midway through last season, hoping to keep him around for a couple of years.
However, after imploding in the playoffs again and given Harden’s long history of postseason shortcomings, the front office may want to reassess the team’s roster, including its star guard.
The Cavaliers are already committed to bringing back coach Kenny Atkinson and will most likely give Donovan Mitchell a contract extension, so they will likely keep Harden as well.
Whether that’s the right move to get this team over the hump and back to the NBA Finals is a different discussion.