Good take. You guys went to the ECF, so it’s not like the Cavs are scrubs. They just ran into the Knicks buzzsaw like everyone else as well as lost the LBJ sweepstakes unfortunately.

Exactly, we either sit or hang our hopes on Watson and Mobley taking some big steps forward. We’ll see! I’d rather hope than doom. We’ll still be playing significant basketball for a few years.

For sure, Harden isn’t a guy you let walk while he can still be a team’s best player in some playoff matchups. And I thought one of the deciding factors in our series was that Strus, Wade etc couldn’t go at Brunson at all offensively. Someone like Watson totally changes the way the Knicks would have to scheme.

Yeah they had little choice with their financials.

Other than letting Dean Wade walk not really sure what there is to criticize. Dipping under the 2nd Apron and re-signing Harden was the best thing they could do short of kidnapping Lebron and forcing him to sign there

If im a nuggets fan im pretty excited about that 2031 Cavs pick

The Cavs are probably still contenders in the East, and this contract is a good move. The Celtics, Pistons, and Knicks will probably regress a bit next season. The 76ers and Raptors are the only teams in the East who have improved over the offseason. The floor for the Cavs is the 2nd round of the playoffs.

76ers’ LeBron James

Legit almost forgot KD is still with the Rockets. Didn’t last season end dramatically for him and them? What’s the prognosis for this season?

This makes no sense. James Harden will only reach 500 million on this contract if he accepts player option, and if you include that then Paul George and Joel Embiid are already over 500m counting current contract.

If he means that Harden will be the 4. player to to have recieved 500m (in the future) then this is wrong aswell, since Paul George will reach it earlier.

Its weird thinking where all these players are currently vs. 2 years back with the exception of Curry of course. Curry will truly be the Tim Duncan of this generation in more ways than one if he retires with the Warriors

The only one over 500m with no championships

These players need to take 1% of their contracts and share with the stadium employees who are all poor AF!!

The crazy thing is that he has missed a few bags in his career so he should have been over half a billion already.

Turns out it was very worthwhile waiting. Major addition in Watson and now he gets a reasonable extension.

I disagree. He is about to be 37 in like a week and he has shown that his defense is so bad that any playoffs team can pick the Cavs apart by just attacking harden. His effort will keep being less as the years go by too

$97m for a 37 year old who gets hunted in the playoffs?? Cavs are first round exit lol

Analytically speaking, for sure

turns out being one of the best basketball players of all time, makes it easier to get paid.

He’s kinda good at something else too.

Got paid in 4,850,000 twenty-dollar bills

this puts him around the ~60th highest paid player for next year. sounds fair to me

Of course it is, but the Cavs are all in. Not like they had any other options

\(32 million a season for him isn’t bad. For reference Darius Garland (who they traded to get Harden) makes \)43 million each of the next two years.

It’s the third year that’s going to look really bad. He was still All-NBA at 35. Much worse guys making 30M+

That’s a pay cut

I’d wager by year 2 or 3 it’s going to look bad

I think next 2 years is our window. Might as well take a chance on some moves now. I guess it’s foolish to prognosticate players’ chances of decline, but Harden is a smart passer and has always been a good shooter, I think he can still be really good next year. Three years out… he might be really bad, but it’s worth making this kind of move now.

They just did?

Glad CLE did him right

Still better than Garland

33 mil a year just isn’t as much as you think it is for a guy that completely raises the floor of your offense and despite the defensive memes doesn’t actually tank any lineups net ratings at all. 

That persisted all playoffs for the cavs. He lead all of their best lineups and I don’t think any of the ones he was in were negative

People just remember 33m a year as a lot.

There are like 75 players in the NBA makong 33m or more. Do you think he’s not a top 75 player?

Elite Freudian slip here

Have you seen Austin Reaves’ contract?

Cavs might actually get value from this contract

He used his mom as his agent for most of his career lol

Koby Altman, not a liar.

Seems like he will be since he’ll be getting paid

As fat as he is, he is very durable. Especially when it comes time to get paid. I guarantee you this will not be his last contract lol

They are absolutely not getting it done with James Harden leading them.

I mean the east is way better than it’s been the last few years I don’t see how anything we’ve done puts us in a better spot to win than we’ve had.

Our best bet was the last few seasons getting hot and having a run like the Pacers and Knicks had but it just didn’t happen

It’s like, fine.

Darko projects his value to be \(35m this year. So if that's roughly right it's shouldn't be a huge overpay. Meanwhile Mitchell is gonna be on \)60m and that seems like a bigger issue.

I mean sure, but he turned 42 million guaranteed into 97 million. Take that deal every time at that age.

Well your only options for stretch big is Kelly Olynyk, Maxi Kleber, or Kevin Love lol

They could use a backup PG, too. I didn’t like Schroeder but I believe Craig Porter is now the second PG in their depth chart

That’s what it says in the tweet.

Yeah I mean Harden/Spida/Watson/Mobley/Allen is objectively an awesome lineup. We’ll see how it goes

One of the best starting 5’s in the league with an acceptable bench

They are still under the 1st apron…so no

Laughs in Denver Salaries

Roughly 180M for the starting lineup. Knicks are at 190M. Nuggets around 185M.