Trade & Free Agency 2026/2027

[DanSchwartzgan]

about 99% sure

or higher!  Done deal.  3/$97mm

[SleepingHero]

or higher!  Done deal.  3/$97mm

@shamscharania

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.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

It's crazy how much power NBA players have. No team has cap space. Harden is old AF. Still able to get 3/$97 with a player option and a trade kicker.

[windjc]

@shamscharania

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.

I think this shows why it is EASIER to win in the NBA now more than ever before because your competition is for the most part STUPID. There are not a lot of competent front offices. We certainly know, as we have never had one in history until now. 

The good news is that a competent coach, a mature front office and a basket of young players willing to sacrifice and play for each other, can compete pretty quickly. Because everyone else is throwing stupid money around on mediocre players that have proven never to be able to win anything of import.

Someone on here said a few months back that the NBA was just a soap opera for middle aged men. That's why its easier to win now, because most franchises are chasing storylines and the illusion of trying (see Cuban).

The few select franchises that focus on winning will, in fact, win.

[omahen]

It's crazy how much power NBA players have.  No team has cap space.  Harden is old AF.  Still able to get 3/$97 with a player option and a trade kicker.

Pretty sure this deal was in principle agreed to at the time Harden rejected his player option. No way he would leave 42 mil on the table unless Cavs put together a very strong contender team

[HoosierDaddyKid]

@shamscharania

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.

We knew it was a foregone conclusion. Only question was the length and AAV.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Cavs also sending Mann to Wizzards for Whitmore in this same deal, another imho great move for them. Saves them some money and gets them a player with a lot of potential.

Whitmore does have potential, but will he ever live up to it? I hear he's somewhat of a knucklehead. It's probably why Houston traded him.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Chris Fedor: My understanding of this deal for Harden is it will start around $30.5 million, with raises in Years 2 and 3.

x.com

[F Gump]

Yeah, he stated with some certainty that the Mavs have been shopping Gafford hard all summer.  Just haven't found any takers.

I think the reality of where the Mavs are regarding Gaff is less negative than what we might think when we are told the Mavs are "shopping Gafford hard". I don't think the Mavs have used that wording, nor would ever air that (even if true).

Yes I think the Mavs have been willing to trade him, and willing to consider offers. 

But I don't think that openness rises to the level of what we would think of as "shopping Gafford hard". I think (and their actions seem to keep demonstrating) they do NOT feel any particular urgency to do a deal, and have a fairly high price (a FRP, and one that has relatively strong value), but until and unless some team(s) is willing to give them strong value, they have every desire for Gaff to be here and be a regular contributor. So I think that's what we should be expecting. Just my 2c.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Chris Fedor: ‘There's another move coming for the Cavs at some point because they are hard-capped by the first apron after the sign-and-trade that they made with Denver for Watson. I'm told that Harden's starting salary in year one is going to be around 30.5 million dollars. So, the Cavs have had conversations about the possibility of a waive-and-stretch for Cam Whitmore. Whitmore is somebody that they acquired in that mega five-team deal that also included Trey Mann going to the Washington Wizards, Dennis Schroeder going to the Charlotte Hornets, and Cam Whitmore and his salary savings coming to the Cavs. They have had conversations internally about the possibility of waiving and stretching Whitmore and not having him on this roster.’ ‘Part of the reason why they moved on from Max Strus is that he was going to be a free agent at the end of this year. But it was also that this is a guy who has dealt with injuries in back-to-back seasons. At one point, we did replace him in the starting lineup with Dean Wade. Dean Wade's no longer here, but we could theoretically replace him again in the starting lineup, this time with Jaylon Tyson or something like that. So, the point is, every player has a contract, and these front offices are looking at it, saying, the value that you bring to our organization- does it match the contract that you have?’

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Ethan Sands: Darius Garland is owed $ 87 million over the next two years, while James Harden just signed a three-year, $ 97 million contract. So, it is still a flexibility move by the front office. As of January 20th, 2026, the Cavs had 392 million dollars on their books, a salary of 228 million, and a tax of 164 million. They were the most expensive team in the NBA. They were over the second apron. As of August 20th, they're at 218, salary at 209, and the luxury tax of nine million dollars.’

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Tim McMahon: ‘But the biggest question I have got about the Pistons is what is going to be the lingering cloud when this whole Jalen Duren situation gets finalized or at least temporarily settled. Is he going to sign an extension? I don't know. But this has been an awfully nasty negotiation, so I have got real concerns there. I understand they believe Ausar Thompson is their second-best player, but Jalen Duren was an All-NBA player for them last year. He was a massive factor in them winning 60 games. You can certainly criticize the playoff performance, but he was a massive factor in them winning 60 games. And you know, I don't know him. I don't really have a great feel for kind of his temperament or anything like that, but sometimes these negotiations, when they are ugly like this, can have long-lasting consequences.’

[omahen]

If Miami utilizes most (all?) of their exception money on Klay, I would expect DeRozan to end up elsewhere. I think he was looking for more than vet min. Although Denver can't offer him more either. But there may be others.

[Chicagojk]

If Miami utilizes most (all?) of their exception money on Klay, I would expect DeRozan to end up elsewhere. I think he was looking for more than vet min. Although Denver can't offer him more either. But there may be others.

Yeah I just expect that DeRozan winds up in Denver.   They really need some juice. Whether that is DeRozan at this stage is another question.   

BTW, I think it is pretty cool Luka has the whole Lakers team in Slovenia.   Pretty cool.   Must be a little hard to get that organized this far before camp.    Doesn't these type of bonding things happen closer to the start of camp?

[Smitty]

@ChrisBHaynes
BREAKING: Free agent star DeMaR DeRozan intends to sign with the Denver Nuggets, league sources tell me.

[Scott41theMavs]

So it's all set -

Kyrie/Larry/Sasser
Max/Risacher/Tarik
Flagg/Naji/Martin
PJ/Morez/Aldama
Lively/Gafford/Cisse

(...until it isn't.)

[cow]

Our guard rotation.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Michael Scotto: Klay Thompson gave back roughly $9.8 million in his buyout agreement with the Dallas Mavericks, league sources told @hoopshype. As widely reported, Thompson now plans to join the Miami Heat once he clears waivers.

Twitter

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Mario Hezonja delivered a spectacular performance as Croatia faced Turkey at a friendly tournament in Hamburg ahead of the upcoming FIBA World Cup qualifying window. Hezonja scored 37 points and hit the decisive step-back three-pointer with four seconds remaining to give Croatia a 95-94 victory.

EuroHoops.net

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Klay Thompson terms: Two years, $13 million, player option in second year

Grade: B-

Thompson's on-court value no longer matches his name value, as a future Hall of Famer who was a centerpiece of the NBA's last great dynasty.

There's a reason, after all, that the Mavericks were amenable to buying Thompson out of the last year of his contract to pave his path to Miami. He is now 36 years old and nowhere near the sort of two-way star he was at his peak. Instead, the five-time All-Star is now a well below-average player. But Thompson will bring one important skill to Miami that the Heat are currently lacking: Even as he has declined, he has remained an elite shooter. Thompson has made at least 38% of his 3-pointers on high volume in every season of his career, and even coming off the bench last season, he ranked among the top 20 players in made 3s per game.

Incidentally, Thompson ranked second in total 3s from a reserve last season -- one spot behind Tim Hardaway Jr., his new teammate on Miami's perimeter.

Because the Heat already added Hardaway in free agency, it's possible that Thompson's presence will be redundant. And a two-year, $13 million deal with a second-year player option is less of an obvious win for Miami than a veteran minimum would have been.

But in truth, the Heat need all the shooting they can get around Giannis Antetokounmpo, after they lost Norman Powell and Tyler Herro, their top two shooters last season. And if any team can cover for Thompson on the defensive end, where he's now a liability because of his age and injury history, it might be a group with Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, Davion Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins, to say nothing of Erik Spoelstra pulling the strategic strings.

It's still unlikely that Thompson, at this stage of his career, will be a major difference-maker for his new team. But Thompson is a better use of a roster spot than other options Miami had to complete its 2026-27 rotation.

DeMar DeRozan terms: One year, $3.9 million

Grade: B

Presumably, DeRozan signed this contract knowing he'd likely be asked to come off the bench in Denver, even though he has started every NBA game he has played since his rookie year -- 1,250 and counting, between the regular season and playoffs.

That shift couldn't come at a better time for the Nuggets, whose bench was incredibly depleted following the Peyton Watson sign-and-trade earlier this week. This is far from a like-for-like replacement, to be clear: DeRozan is about as different from Watson as two similarly sized players can be. The 23-year-old Watson is strongest on defense and -- in a new turn -- from the 3-point line; the 37-year-old DeRozan is a midrange master with considerable defensive limitations.

That difference could make DeRozan a somewhat clunky fit in Denver, where he won't patch the defensive holes left by Watson's departure, and where his lack of 3-point range could complicate his fit with Nikola Jokic (and Christian Braun, if he can't rebound from last season's 30% performance from distance).

But on a relative basis, DeRozan should provide a major upgrade in his new home. Until the six-time All-Star joined on a veteran minimum contract, the Nuggets' highest-scoring reserves were projected as backup center Marvin Bagley III (10.5 points per game last season) and wing Julian Strawther (7.2).

Even in his late 30s, DeRozan offers a different level of scoring and playmaking -- he's a very underrated passer -- than any other option outside the Nuggets' starting lineup. He should be able to help stabilize the offense when Jokic or Jamal Murray rest, as he has continued to score efficiently even in a dour situation in Sacramento over the past two seasons.

For years now, Denver's bench has been a problem, and DeRozan won't come close to solving that issue all on his own. But it's slightly less of an issue today than it was yesterday.

James Harden terms: Three years, $97 million, with a player option in the third year

Grade: B

At this point, you know what you're getting with Harden. He has remained a metronomic offensive force even into his late 30s; he can create for others and score of his own accord inside, outside and at the free throw line. He also rarely misses time, as he has appeared in 70 or more games in each of the past three seasons.

That combination makes for a powerful regular-season catalyst. In 15 of his 17 NBA seasons, including each of the last 10, Harden has finished the year with a team that won at least 50 games (or the equivalent winning percentage in a shortened season). He has never finished with a losing record.

You also know, however, the downsides that come with relying on Harden. He was a relatively indifferent defender even in his 20s, and now he's one of the least active defenders in the league. His production also routinely shrinks in the postseason, or at the very least becomes wildly inconsistent.

Those attributes are essentially baked into Harden's player profile at this point, and his return to Cleveland also seemed baked in as soon as the Cavaliers traded Darius Garland for him at last season's deadline. The Clippers weren't willing to extend Harden at his desired amount, so he sought a trade to a team that would.

And after Harden declined his $42 million player option earlier this summer, it was only a matter of time before the Cavaliers completed the rest of their offseason business -- which they did with the Peyton Watson sign-and-trade on Wednesday -- and brought back Harden on a longer-term deal with a lower annual value.

The resulting contract is a year longer than would be optimal for the Cavaliers, as it gives Harden a player option in his age-39 season. A straight two-year deal in the $60 million range would have protected Cleveland more against potential decline as Harden ages.

But for all the holes in Harden's game, he's still a valuable playmaker and regular-season innings eater, and his backcourt partnership with Donovan Mitchell worked reasonably well in limited time last year. The Cavaliers certainly couldn't afford to lose him, with Garland already gone and no means to replace his production with another trade or free agent signing.

That 2028-29 player option could -- and likely will -- prove problematic in a couple of years. But the Cavaliers are an all-in, win-now team, and they're hoping that Harden helps them finally get over the playoff hump and return to the Finals at some point before then.