Cleveland Cavaliers Land James Harden and Peyton Watson in Massive Roster Shakeup
Cavs woke up on Thursday and decided to cause sports chaos. Not only did they pull off an anticipated contract signing, but also a three-team trade with the Denver Nuggets as well as Los Angeles Clippers. The Cleveland Cavaliers have just landed James Harden and Peyton Watson in massive roster shakeup.
Yes, Cleveland finally got a deal done with Harden. With this latest contract James now joins the $500 million club. An exclusive grouping of NBA players that have eclipsed $500 million in career earnings.
Furthermore, Harden is still a solid piece on any team. James Harden now ranks 9th on the NBA’s all-time regular-season scoring list with 29,339 career points. He is a three-time scoring champion and the 2018 MVP. Plus, he now has also made 17 consecutive playoff appearances.
Harden secured his 17th consecutive playoff appearance during the 2025–26 NBA season. Thus, maintaining a flawless streak of reaching the postseason in every year of his 17-year career. He is one of only four players in NBA history to make the playoffs in each of their first 17 seasons.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Harden’s contract stating,
“BREAKING: James Harden has agreed to a new three-year, $97 million contract to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, with a player option and a trade kicker, agents Mike Silverman, Troy Payne and Brandon Grier of Equity Sports told ESPN.
Harden’s career earnings will now reach $511 million, making him the fourth player in NBA history to eclipse the $500 million mark, joining the 76ers’ LeBron James, the Rockets’ Kevin Durant and the Warriors’ Stephen Curry.
Harden turns 37 next Wednesday (Aug. 26), and when the 11-time NBA All-Star officially signs, he will become the second player in league history to sign for over $90 million in guaranteed salary at age 37 or older, with LeBron being the other.
In June, Harden declined his $42.3 million player option, but at the outset of free agency he and his agents worked with the Cavaliers on two- and three-year structures.
The Cavaliers needed Harden to lower his annual salary in a three-year deal, versus a more costly two-year deal, in order to get under the first and second aprons – as well as give Cleveland the time necessary late into the offseason to trade for Peyton Watson.
Harden played a key recruiting role with Watson during his restricted free agency, staying in active communication to push him to Cleveland, per sources.”
Cleveland Cavaliers Land James Harden and Peyton Watson in Massive Roster Shakeup
Thursday evening Charania also broke down the three team trade involving the Nuggets, Clippers and Cavs. Shams revealed,
“BREAKING: Cleveland, Denver and the Clippers have agreed on a trade sending Peyton Watson to the Cavaliers, Max Strus to LA, and an unprotected 2031 Cavs first-round pick and a 2032 Kings second-rounder to the Nuggets, sources tell ESPN.
Watson will sign a new four-year, $88 million deal to join the Cavaliers, plus a player option and a trade kicker. Denver, Cleveland and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul and agents Lucas Newton and Calvin Andrews finalized the new home Wednesday in a difficult restricted free agency landscape — with Watson’s reps navigating interest and offers from the Bucks, Trail Blazers and Clippers before narrowing on the guaranteed $88M deal with the Cavaliers.”
The reigning East finalist Cavaliers have retooled their roster now, bringing in the 23-year-old wing for athleticism and scoring after a career season and trading out Strus and Dennis Schroder over the last week. The Nuggets are landing a valuable, far out first-rounder plus a second while the Clippers move a 2027 second-rounder acquired from Philadelphia in the Johni Broome trade to acquire an established player in Strus via a trade exception.
This trade helps out many organizations. As part of the deal, the Cavaliers are sending Tre Mann, the 2027 second-rounder from the Clippers and cash to the Washington Wizards for Cam Whitmore, sources said. Charania added that the Wizards also are sending Julian Reese to the Nuggets, who will waive Reese off his two-way deal. Mann fills a positional need as the Wizards have searched for an additional guard in recent weeks — while the Cavaliers gain a smaller salary in Whitmore to create optionality under the first apron.
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