James Harden tweeted that he’ll stay in Houston forever. As far as Twitter promises go, this one actually has some merit.
James Harden promises to never leave the Rockets, and his $228 million extension proves it
After signing a contract extension this summer, Harden’s employed through at least 2022.
See, on July 8, the 28-year-old Harden signed the biggest contract extension in NBA history — adding $228 million to his deal and extending it through the 2022-23 season. Yes, that means Harden is under contract for the next six seasons.
It’s true that the final year is a player option — though at $46.8 million, that would be hard to turn down. But even if Harden exercised that option and became a free agent, he’d be 32. Barring a trade, Harden will be spending the most meaningful years of his prime in Houston.
Of course, Twitter promises aren’t legally binding. We’ve been through this before.
But given Harden’s massive extension, you can trust that he’s not just saying that. All it would take is one more four-year deal in 2022 or 2023 when Harden becomes a free agent, and Harden really might remain with the Rockets for the rest of his career.
And for now, with Chris Paul joining the backcourt and the Rockets seen as one of the top teams in the league, there’s absolutely no reason to considering leaving anyway.
