James Harden, Rockets agree to reported record extension
UPDATE: The Rockets have officially announced a four-year extension with James Harden, keeping him in Houston through the 2022-23 season.
James Harden is reportedly moving close to becoming a very wealthy man.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Harden and the Houston Rockets are in negotiations regarding what would be the largest contract extension in league history.
Sources with @WindhorstESPN: James Harden and Rockets are progressing toward deal on biggest contract extension in NBA history.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 8, 2017
Harden's progressing toward adding four years onto Houston current deal, an extension that could guarantee him $228M through 2022-23 season.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 8, 2017
Thanks to the CBA, we know that the Rockets would be able to offer Harden the Designated Player Veteran Extension, a four-year max deal in the neighborhood of $42 million a year. That would eclipse Stephen Curry’s five-year, $201 million deal in terms of average annual value, though Harden’s AAV would drop to around $38 million when the rest of his existing contract is taken into account.
The Rockets had long planned to lock down Harden long-term, and it appears that they’re closing in on doing so.