The Beard will be back for 4 more years
James Harden agrees to a $118-million contract extension to focus on “doing unbelievable things here.”
James Harden will stick around a few more seasons.
LAS VEGAS — Rockets general manager Daryl Morey paced around the Cox Pavilion court, his Blackberry pressed to his ear, the future of the franchise in his hands.
Morey had a ticket for the red-eye to take him back to Houston for Saturday’s news conference. But he did not know if he would bring franchise-shaping news to go with the planned introductions of free-agent additions forward Ryan Anderson and guard Eric Gordon.
By the time the summer league game Friday ended, talks had progressed to the point Morey was set to meet with James Harden’s agent that night. While the Lakers and Pelicans played on the floor below, Morey and Rob Pelinka moved far from the rest of the Thomas and Mack Center crowd and hammered out the deal that had the Rockets celebrating nearly as happily as they did the night they completed the trade to bring Harden from Oklahoma City.
The move Saturday could be just as crucial. The Rockets and Harden, 26, reached agreement on a four-year, $118 million contract, replacing the two years he had left on his current deal. Harden has a player option for the final season, 2019-20. But prior to the contract extension, Harden was in position to become a free agent after the 2017-18 season.
With the deal, the Rockets not only are assured their star will be under contract for three more seasons, they can enter next summer’s loaded free-agent market able to promise the team’s best player and face of the franchise would stick around.
Harden last season averaged career bests in scoring (29 points per game), rebounding (6.1) and assists (7.5) to join LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson as the only players to average at least 29 points, six rebounds and seven assists in a season.
The Rockets would have had two years to build around that. But if they could not land a star partner for Harden, they were at risk of losing him. Instead, they sent a message.
“That’s the kind of organization we’re trying to build,” Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said, “where people know we’re going to try to win all the time, and they want to be here.”
Once the Rockets failed to land a max player this summer, they had the cap room for Harden’s larger contract — worth $26,540,000 next season —- and he committed to creating the legacy he said he thinks about “all the time” in Houston.
“I haven’t thought about anything else,” Harden said. “So, I’m here.”
The Rockets, who are also working to bring back restricted free-agent forward Donatas Motiejunas, would have to move one contract to have room to offer a max contract next summer but have multiple cap-friendly contracts to offer if necessary. There will be far more stars than this season, in a class that could include Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Gordon Hayward, Kyle Lowry and Paul Millsap.
The next step for the Rockets would be to rebuild an image as a team on the rise, a reputation that had been sacrificed in the dysfunctional fall to 41-41. They could not get an audience with Durant and could not land Al Horford, the two max players who switched teams. With the additions of Gordon, Anderson and Nene, they hope to hit the next free-agency period with momentum they did not have this summer.
“I think it’s a win-win situation,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “It really showed how everybody wants to be in this situation. It’s a real partnership with James. That’s a positive. Team-wise, everybody has long contracts. That takes the pressure off. Everybody is focused on the most important thing; that’s winning. That’s all it’s about.
“We’re going to try to win today, set the culture right, set right tones, and keep moving forward. It’s not ‘Oh, my gosh, what if he leaves?’ It’s a great day for James and the organization.”
Without locking up Harden, the Rockets would have been building on quicksand. Anything that looked good on the surface, would have been on too insecure a foundation to lead to more.
“It’s extremely important when you’re talking to folks about joining your team,” Morey said. “You have the main core in place. Obviously, James is the most important part of that. It was a no-brainer.”