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By Anne Erickson
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The James Harden situation isn't going away for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cleveland missed out on its biggest free-agent target when LeBron James chose to join the Sixers instead of making a third stop with the Cavaliers. On the flipside, Harden remains unsigned, leaving the door open for Cleveland to figure out whether there's still a way to make something work.
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For the Cavs, that's an interesting position to be in. The team is limited in what it can do because it was over the second apron last season, making it much harder to simply add another major contract and move on. Cleveland has been looking around the league for other options, but there aren't many easy answers when the salary rules start getting involved.
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That leaves Harden as the most logical solution. A new multiyear deal in Cleveland still appears possible, and there's a pretty important reason to believe the relationship hasn't fallen apart. Harden was recently in attendance for Donovan Mitchell's wedding, and the two All-Stars remain close.
That's worth noting because basketball relationships don't always survive the kind of offseason uncertainty Cleveland is dealing with. In this case, there doesn't seem to be much bad blood.
The Cavaliers still have plenty to like about their roster, and having Harden would give them another experienced scorer and creator without forcing them to completely reshape what they've built. At this stage of his career, he's not the same player who once dominated the league, but he can still make an offense easier to run when the game gets tight.
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The Cavs don't need to make a move just to make one. They need to find the right addition while staying within a complicated financial situation. If Harden remains available and the relationship with Mitchell stays strong, a return to Cleveland could still make plenty of sense.
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