On Thursday, James Harden agreed to a $97 million contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. A historic deal that keeps him in Cleveland until the 2028-29 NBA season.
Harden also finds himself in elite company, including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry, per Shams Charania of ESPN. His career earnings have now reached $511 million; the other three are the only ones to achieve that number.
Additionally, Harden, who turns 37 on Aug. 26, is now the second player, along with LeBron, to sign a guaranteed deal of $90 million at 37 or older. According to Julia Stumbaugh of The Bleacher Report, Harden is now the NBA’s 4th-highest-paid player in career earnings.
James leads with $585 million. Durant is 2nd at $545 million, and Curry is 3rd with $535 million.
It was a chaotic time for Harden last season. He was traded to the Cavs from the Los Angeles Clippers in February. In 80 games, Harden averaged 23.6 points, 8.0 assists, and 4.8 rebounds. With the Cavs, Harden averaged 20.5 points and 7.7 assists as well as shooting 44% from the 3-point line.
In the playoffs, he averaged 19.2 points and 5.1 assists per game. Ultimately, the Cavs were swept by the eventual champion New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
In June, Harden was arrested in Houston for unlawful possession of a weapon. However, the case against Harden was dismissed after he completed a resolution process.
Harden has played 17 NBA seasons. He’s played for six teams, including the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Clippers, and Cavs.
Harden won the NBA MVP in 2018, is an 11-time All-Star, three-time scoring champion, and a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary team.