What’s holding up James Harden’s new Cavs contract?

James Harden has agreed to return to the Cavaliers on a three-year deal. All that needs to happen now is for it to become official.

So, what’s the holdup? Well, as Hoops Rumors explained, the Cavs will now have to navigate the first-apron hard cap after the trade for Peyton Watson.

One way to do this is to waive Cam Whitmore, acquired from the Wizards as part of the deal involving Watson. That appears to be the plan, though the Cavs are reportedly examining ways to trade Whitmore first.

“The Cavs have until Saturday (August 29) to finalize their decision on Whitmore if they intend to use the stretch provision to spread his $5,458,310 expiring salary across three seasons, reducing his cap hit to $1,819,437,” Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors wrote.

“Waiving and stretching Whitmore’s contract would leave the Cavaliers with 12 players on standard contracts and just over $32MM in breathing room below the first apron. Harden will become the team’s 13th man, and according to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the plan is for the Cavs to sign a draft-rights rookie to be their 14th man.”

That rookie could be Khalifa Diop or Ismael Kamagate, two international centers whose draft rights belong to the Cavs, Adams noted. Signing one of them would come with a smaller apron hit than adding an undrafted rookie or veteran on a minimum contract.

Even after stretching Whitmore and signing one of the two centers, the numbers would be tight. The Cavs would have about $30.7 million available for Harden’s first-year salary, allowing them to give him nearly $96.7 million over three years.

That’s just shy of the reported $97 million agreement. So, yeah, either Harden accepts slightly less, or the Cavs find another way to create some breathing room.

Trading Whitmore would help and presumably be preferable to losing a 22-year-old former first-round pick for nothing. But the Cavs don’t have forever to explore that route. If they want to stretch his contract, the decision must be made by Saturday.

Whatever happens, this undoubtedly isn’t about Harden reconsidering his decision. It’s about the Cavs making all the numbers fit.

Either way, we will know the outcome on Whitmore by Saturday. We suspect, anyway.

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