The echoes of Cleveland’s playoff collapse are still fresh. A first-round sweep extinguished the Cavaliers’ title hopes emphatically, and much of the fallout landed at James Harden’s feet. With criticism mounting, the veteran guard’s future quickly became one of the franchise’s biggest offseason storylines.

But while outside voices continue to debate his future, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman appears to be sending a different message. Speaking to reporters, Altman addressed Harden’s situation and made it clear that Cleveland is hoping this chapter isn’t over just yet.

“James is interesting. Obviously, he knows he has a player option,” Altman said. “Not going to go into it, we have to talk to his representation about what that looks like. We’re hopeful he comes back, and we have a full training camp with him.

“He’s remarkable for us. I think people need to take a step back and realize we didn’t trade for MVP James Harden. We traded for James Harden at the end of his career, that has transformed himself into becoming one of the best point guards in the league.”

Altman’s backing of Harden comes despite the veteran guard facing intense scrutiny following Cleveland’s playoff exit. After averaging 16 points during the Knicks series and struggling in key moments, Harden became one of the primary targets of criticism as the Cavaliers were swept out of the Eastern Conference Finals. Among the loudest critics was Skip Bayless, who bluntly called him out on social media.

“This is what happens when you trade for James Harden.”

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith was equally critical, questioning Harden’s performances in the biggest moments. On First Take, Smith said Harden’s Hall of Fame credentials were “on the verge of being revoked” and later criticized the guard’s lack of offensive aggression, saying:

“One of the all-time great scorers, as the moments intensify, you shrink? You scared to shoot?”

Internally, however, the Cavaliers remain committed to Harden and believe a full training camp could help produce a different outcome next season. Nevertheless, the damage is already done.

Harden didn’t put up MVP numbers. He averaged 19.2 ppg this postseason, below his career average of 22.2. However, in the case of transforming into the best PG in the league, Beard has fallen short. 

He has trouble protecting the ball. After ranking 6th for turnover per game in the regular season with 3.5, he has doubled down in the playoffs with 4.7. Notably, that’s been a trend throughout his career. He has 48 games out of his 188 playoff appearances with more turnovers than field goals (25.5%). This postseason, he finished 7 games with a similar trend out of 18 appearances.

Moreover, the Knicks exploited James Harden’s defensive shortcomings, especially Jalen Brunson, who went on a rampage in Game 1. NFL legend Shannon Sharpe, speaking of the guard’s postseason struggles, added, “You can’t suck at both ends of the court.”

Despite all the backlash, Koby Altman has left it to the 11x All-Star to decide on his future with the Cavs. In the offseason, he has to decide whether to exercise the player option on the 2-year, $81 million contract he signed with the Clippers. Given his pattern of short contracts and short stints after his exit from the Rockets’ fold, nothing is concrete.

Following his exit from the Rockets, where he stayed the longest (9 seasons), Harden had multiple short stints: 13 months with the Nets, 18 months with the Sixers, and 2 years with the Clippers. 

Will James Harden stay with the Cavaliers?

Despite the backlash and patterns, the recent report suggests that James Harden would continue with The Land. Shams Charania reported that Harden would decline his player option and sign a multi-year deal. The star guard’s current annual salary of $40 million has put the Cavs above the second apron. 

In fact, it became the NBA’s highest payroll. So, signing a deal with a concession will remove the financial hurdles and help the team add more depth to the roster. James Harden himself made a promising statement about his future after the 0-4 sweep.

“Definitely want to be here. I think we found something. It’s tough. It’s not ending how we wanted to, but I think we found something.”

Above all, Koby Altman has emerged as an influential figure in rebuilding the Cavs in the post-LeBron James era. He drafted Darius Garland and Evan Mobley and made impactful trades for Jarrett Allen and Donovan Mitchell since taking the office of General Manager in 2017. Speaking of James Harden’s inclusion and his impact, he added:

“He helped re-galvanize the group. We were kind of shaky there in terms of our belief. And when he came on board, he gave us a real belief and swagger.”

He also credited Beard for the team’s run till the Conference Finals. As the four-year president, Altman has lifted the team from scratch to make consistent playoff appearances. With his latest decision involving the veteran point guard, the question is: Is he the missing piece for their second ring?