Grading James Harden's massive new Cavaliers contract

It's payday for James Harden yet again. The Cleveland Cavaliers gave Harden a new three-year, $97 million deal, according to ESPN's Shams Charania, putting the veteran guard under contract until he's 39 years old. The deal reportedly includes a player option and a trade kicker.

Harden, who's top four in NBA career earnings ($511 million), arrived to Cleveland in a trade for Darius Garland in February, and over the final 26 games he averaged 20.5 points and 7.7 assists while shooting 43.5% from 3. Donovan Mitchell and Harden began to form legitimate chemistry before Cleveland underwhelmed in the playoffs.

The Cavs skated by the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons in seven-game series before the New York Knicks swept them in the Eastern Conference Finals. New York attacked Harden defensively and Cleveland didn't have an answer, as evidenced by coach Kenny Atkinson infamously telling reporters his team was winning the series analytically.

Cleveland has slightly modified its roster after swinging and missing on LeBron James. The Cavaliers gave up Max Strus and a 2031 first-round pick in a trade for emerging forward Peyton Watson yesterday. Tyrese Proctor arrived via the draft while Mario Hezonja signed in free agency after six seasons overseas.

Here's how Cleveland fared in its deal for Harden.

The Cavaliers have been insistent on building around Mitchell and Evan Mobley, so they didn't have many options other than bringing Harden back. Harden is one of the NBA's most prolific scorers and can give Donovan Mitchell some time off the ball to preserve his energy over a long regular season. It's just fair to question whether Harden's isolation-heavy offensive game and lackluster defensive ability can be hidden in the playoffs at this stage of his career. The deal taking Harden until he's nearly 40 could very well age terribly. GRADE: C

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Grading James Harden's massive new Cavaliers contract