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Supermax extension to pay James Harden record $228M through 2022-23
James Harden and the Houston Rockets have agreed to a four-year extension, the team announced Saturday. The contract is a supermaximum extension that will guarantee him $228 million through the 2022-23 season, league sources told ESPN.
Harden, the runner-up to Russell Westbrook for the NBA's MVP this season, has two years and $59 million left on his current contract. The four-year extension carries a value of $170 million and is the richest extension in NBA history.
With the megadeal, Harden is taking advantage of brand-new CBA rules that enable contract extensions for superstars. He became eligible to add four years to his deal after making the All-NBA team in May, and the Rockets became focused on locking him into an extension after their season ended.
"Houston is home for me," Harden said in a statement released by the Rockets. "[Owner Leslie Alexander] has shown he is fully committed to winning, and my teammates and I are going to keep putting in the work to get better and compete for the title."
Harden is coming off a career-best season in which he averaged 29.1 points, a league-best 11.2 assists and 8.1 rebounds per game.
Though Harden's annual salary under the extension could fluctuate based on the salary cap, he is expected to earn a 2019-20 salary of $37.8 million. That annual salary increases each year to $40.8 million, $43.8 million and finishes at $46.8 million in the 2022-23 season.
Harden, the runner-up to Russell Westbrook for the NBA's MVP this season, has two years and $59 million left on his current contract. The four-year extension carries a value of $170 million and is the richest extension in NBA history.
With the megadeal, Harden is taking advantage of brand-new CBA rules that enable contract extensions for superstars. He became eligible to add four years to his deal after making the All-NBA team in May, and the Rockets became focused on locking him into an extension after their season ended.
"Houston is home for me," Harden said in a statement released by the Rockets. "[Owner Leslie Alexander] has shown he is fully committed to winning, and my teammates and I are going to keep putting in the work to get better and compete for the title."
Harden is coming off a career-best season in which he averaged 29.1 points, a league-best 11.2 assists and 8.1 rebounds per game.
Though Harden's annual salary under the extension could fluctuate based on the salary cap, he is expected to earn a 2019-20 salary of $37.8 million. That annual salary increases each year to $40.8 million, $43.8 million and finishes at $46.8 million in the 2022-23 season.