The Houston Rockets didn't want to take any chances that their superstar would leave them in free agency down the road so they re-upped with James Harden. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the renegotiated deal will allow Harden to make considerably more money than he was set to over the next few seasons.
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Sources on @TheVertical: All-Star James Harden has agreed to a 4-year, $118M contract renegotiation that takes him through 2020 in Houston.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 9, 2016
Rockets just announced renegotiation at news conference in Houston. Sources say deal includes a 2019-'20 player option for Harden.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 9, 2016
The deal allows Harden to get raises on his 2016-'17 and 2017-'18 contracts using Rockets cap space -- plus two additional year at max rate.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 9, 2016
Sources: Over the next four years, Harden will now earn: $26.5M, $28.3M, $30.4M and a player option for $32.7M in 2019-'20.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 9, 2016
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Harden will now get paid almost $120 million to not play defense and become a ball-stopper on offense. It's no wonder Dwight Howard left to sign with the Atlanta Hawks, although that's one of the reasons the Rockets were able to give Harden so much money. He averaged 29 points, 7.5 assists and 6.1 boards per game last season while shooting 44 percent from the floor and 36 percent from the three-point line.
