James Harden Joining LeBron James, Stephen Curry & Kevin Durant in $500 Million Club Draws Reactions – “That’s a Whole Damn Economy”

Veteran guard James Harden declining his player option allowed the Cleveland Cavaliers to splurge in free agency.

James Harden Joining LeBron James, Stephen Curry & Kevin Durant in $500 Million Club Draws Reactions – “That’s a Whole Damn Economy”

James Harden re-signs with Cavs (Image via Sleeper Cavs/X)

After James Harden opted out of his $42.3 million player option for the upcoming season, many felt that he would be taking a significant pay cut to continue playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

He may have performed better in the first two series than his usual playoff legacy, but it was still not enough for the team to produce a meaningful effort against the New York Knicks.

In fact, the guard’s overall numbers suffered during this past postseason campaign once their opponents took away his playmaking. The Cavs stayed in the race to the NBA Finals mostly because of what the rest of the team produced.

But most glaring of all was his inability to stay in front of Jalen Brunson in the Eastern Conference Finals. The eventual Finals MVP isolated Harden and took advantage of his defensive lapses. That, and his turnovers, became the biggest problem for the Cavs.

So much so that everyone felt the 36-year-old single-handedly cost his team another playoff series. That is why fans felt he would take a massive pay cut to allow the franchise to reinforce the team.

They did, trading for Peyton Watson, which many felt was the right move for the team. However, they also went ahead and gave James Harden a three-year, $97 million contract.

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Fans react to James Harden entering half a billion club

That contract averages out to $32.3 million a season, which, by James Harden’s standards, is not that significant, at least by the annual payout. Many were concerned by the length of the deal, questioning why the Cavaliers would commit to him until he is 40 years old.

But what drew the most reactions was when fans realized that with this new deal, the Arizona State alum enters the exclusive $500 million earnings club. That group only includes LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant.

Where fans had a problem was when they felt that the Cavs guard is not as accomplished as the other four to sit at the same table. Check out examples of those reactions below.

In James Harden’s defense, his league MVP award, along with his scoring, assists, and All-NBA selections, is enough to justify his place in that group. However, fans think otherwise, pointing to his playoff record.

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James Harden acknowledges Maxx Crosby’s excitement on his new deal

While fans may not agree with the logic of handing James Harden a three-year, $97 million deal, NFL star Maxx Crosby was one of those who felt that the superstar guard deserved another big contract.

James Harden and Donovan Mitchell
James Harden and Donovan Mitchell (Image via ESPN Cleveland/X)

MY BROTHER IS LEGENDARY. Congrats… MORE IS REQUIRED.

Maxx Crosby wrote on X

When the Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher wrote this, it had to come to the Cavs star’s attention. Harden reacted to this with a ‘crossed fingers’ emoticon, suggesting that he is hoping that this deal leads to another.

LeBron James playing into his 40s has given many older players the motivation to continue rather than just call it a day just because the media and fans want them to. Therefore, this reaction could be a sign that James Harden, too, is hoping to play into his 40s.

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