Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
The Cleveland Cavaliers have re-signed guard James Harden to a multi-year contract, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced today. Harden (6-5, 220) appeared in 70 games (all starts) this past season, including 44 games with the Clippers and 26 games with the Cavaliers, averaging 23.6 points (17th in the NBA), 8.0 assists (4th in the NBA), 4.8 rebounds and 1.13 steals in 34.8 minutes, while also shooting a career best .884 free throw percentage (15th in the NBA). The 17-year guard also recorded 20 double-doubles and two triple-doubles on the year while making 215 three-pointers, the 15th-most made triples in the NBA this past season. It was the eighth time in his career with at least 200 made three-pointers in a single season. In his 26 games with the Cavaliers, Harden averaged 20.5 points, 7.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 33.8 minutes.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed center Khalifa Diop (hah-LEE-fuh JYOP), Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts. Diop (6-11, 231), who was selected by the Cavaliers with the 39th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, has spent the past three seasons with Saski Baskonia of Spain’s Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. In 2025-26, the 24-year-old appeared in 47 total games (38 starts) for Baskonia and averaged 3.8 points on .670 shooting from the field, 4.2 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 16.4 minutes per game. He helped Baskonia capture the 2026 Copa del Rey title, the club’s first in 17 years, after also contributing to the team’s 2023 EuroCup championship.
The five-team trade that led to the Cavs shaking up their roster is official. Peyton Watson and Cam Whitmore are in. Max Strus and Dennis Schröder — two key members of Cleveland’s Eastern Conference finals team — are out. The Cavaliers also sent an unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a future second-rounder to Denver as part of the sign-and-trade deal for Watson, who became Cleveland’s top fallback option following a failed pursuit of LeBron James this summer. “Peyton is a young, talented player who we believe fits extremely well with the direction of our team,” said president of basketball operations Koby Altman. “His length, athleticism and defensive versatility give us the ability to play him across multiple positions and create more flexibility on both ends of the floor.”
Acquiring Watson was complicated, especially given his status as a restricted free agent and the salary cap situations of both Denver and Cleveland. As part of the agreement, Watson, who will wear No. 8 in Cleveland, is signing a four-year, $88 million contract that includes a player option and trade kicker. It took five teams to complete the deal — Cleveland, Charlotte, Denver, Washington and the Los Angeles Clippers. It also cost the Cavaliers two every-night rotational players in Strus and Schröder. “Over the past several seasons, Max became an important part of our team, our culture, and our identity,” Altman said of Strus. “His professionalism, toughness, competitiveness, and leadership helped shape the standard we have established here, and his impact went well beyond what he did on the court.”
During his time in Cleveland, Schröder appeared in 30 games, averaging 8.2 points, 4.3 assists and 2.3 rebounds while serving as the team’s primary backup point guard. “Dennis made an immediate impact after joining us at the trade deadline, bringing experience, toughness, and leadership to our group,” Altman said of Schröder. “His contributions helped us reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2018, and we are grateful for everything he gave the Cavaliers during his time here.”
Advertisement
Appearing alongside James' agent Rich Paul on the Game Over podcast, ESPN insider Shams Charania revealed that Cavaliers executives and members of the Gilbert family met with the four-time NBA champion in Akron in early July. "Now you tell me, Rich, if I'm right or wrong," Charania said. "Was it the Cavaliers' front office group – Koby Altman, Brandon Weems, the Gilbert family and Grant Gilbert – meeting with LeBron in Akron in early July? Is that the loaf of bread you're talking about?" Paul appeared stunned that Charania knew about the meeting. "Early July? Wait a minute. How did you know about that?" Paul responded.
"Let's get to one guy that played with the Cavs this past season, that is James Harden. He opted out of his deal with Cleveland. What can you tell us about his future with the Cavs?" Shams Charania: "James Harden will be going back to the Cavaliers just depending on how this shakes out with LeBron James and other upgrades the Cavs are able to make. He will be back, my understanding is on a multi-year deal. Whether that is a two-year deal, a three-year deal, a lot of that shakes out after the Cavs' offseason moves. But I am told James Harden, his reps are on the same page with the Cavs. They want to give the organization as much flexibility as possible to see what upgrades they can make, because they know there needs to be some level of upgrade on the roster, especially on the wings. So whether it is LeBron James, a guy like Jonathan Kuminga, this is a Cavs group led by Koby Altman, president of basketball operations, that is being aggressive here in the market, and that starts with LeBron James."
Shams Charania: Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and president of basketball operations Koby Altman spoke with Mitchell and Brown once the seven-time NBA All-Star was able to land a new extension, and reached terms quickly. All parties have been in lockstep on the future direction. Mitchell has played a significant part in the Cavaliers’ conversations to improve the roster, and supportive of the front office, and that has continued this summer.
"[Donovan] Mitchell, [James] Harden, [Evan] Mobley, [Jarrett] Allen. Dan and Grant -- which is the Gilberts. Plus Koby [Altman], he was there when LeBron won there," Paul said. "Big, big, big X factor, let me talk to you about Brandon Weems," who is the Cavs' assistant GM under the president of basketball operations, Altman, and was a childhood friend and James' high school teammate. "Brandon Weems is basically LeBron's brother," Paul said. "Now, he worked his own way [up], nobody gave him anything. He's earned to be in the front office of the Cavs. "But that is a big feather in the cap [for Cleveland], because of Brandon Weems." Paul added that the Cavs would have been even more appealing had the roster still featured fellow Klutch client Darius Garland, who was traded to the LA Clippers for Harden last season. "This is no offense to Harden," Paul said. "Because he loves Garland like he loves Maxey."
Eligible for a contract extension on July 7, Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell is highly coveted by the organization. With one year and a player option left on his current deal, Cavs president Koby Altman was asked about his status and a potential agreement, whether this summer or next offseason. “Donovan has been steadfast in how much he loves it here, and so there hasn't been any question of will he be here and does he want to be here,” Altman said. “So I think that's the biggest thing, right? That's the best thing, when we have a superstar of his caliber that wants to be in Cleveland, that's our best ambassador, that's our best recruiter. “There's guys that are here that wouldn't be here without him, quite frankly. So I think the bigger question is the one that's been answered is does he want to be here, and does he want to be here long term? And I think he's answered that.”
Advertisement
There has long been chatter about the Thunder having interest in Cleveland big man Evan Mobley as well, but Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman insisted in an end-of-season news conference that Mobley wasn’t going anywhere.
Point-blank, Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman was prompted to answer whether or not Evan Mobley will be on the roster before next season begins. He hesitated, taken aback by the question, then pressed by a reporter on the rumors surrounding the Cavs and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. “I mean, he's part of our future,” Altman said on Friday in his end-of-season press conference. “We're not going to speculate on any players outside these walls. All I can tell you is, since Evan's been here, we've had the third-best record in the league. Now, we don't have a championship to show for that yet, right? “Boston and Denver, the other two ahead of us, they have a championship to show for that. But all Evan has done is impacted winning. He's been remarkable for us in terms of our ascent the last five years. He's a huge part of what we do. He knows he needs to get better.”
Cavs All-Star Donovan Mitchell will be eligible to sign a contract extension on July 7. Asked whether the Cavs will offer an extension to Mitchell this summer, Koby Altman said, "There hasn't been any question on if he wants to be here or if he will be here." When asked why he considers Mitchell an elite No. 1 player, Altman said, "Donovan is uniquely ours and he's our guy. When you are constantly an All-NBA guy ... you embrace that." "Do we think we can win a championship with him as our best player? Yes," he said.
Speaking on whether Evan Mobley will be with the Cavs next season, Altman said, "Yeah, he's part of our future." With regard to speculation that the Cavs could package Mobley in a trade for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Altman said he's "not going to speculate on any players outside of these walls. Since Evan's been here, we have the third-best record in the league."