Rockets, Harden agree to 4-year contract renegotiation worth reported $118M
The Houston Rockets and shooting guard James Harden have agreed to a four-year contract renegotiation that takes effect this coming season, the team announced Saturday. The terms are for $118 million and include a player option in 2019-20, according to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The surprise announcement came after the Rockets had introduced free-agent signings Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon. In renegotiating Harden's deal, the Rockets ensure at least one more year of him under contract.
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 (@WojVerticalNBA) July 9, 2016
Before the renegotiation, Harden would've become an unrestricted free agent after the 2017-18 season. A provision in the NBA's collective bargaining agreement allowed the Rockets to use its own salary cap space to renegotiate the contract and add two years onto the deal.
Harden turns 27 next month and remains Houston's feature player for the foreseeable future. While he's never won a scoring title, no player has recorded more points over the past two NBA seasons than Harden.