Projecting the 2026-2027 Cavaliers starting lineup after James Harden’s return

The James Harden experience, on the whole, worked out really well for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season. Paired with Dononvan Mitchell in the backcourt, the future Hall of Famer provided his reliable brand of offense as Cleveland made a somewhat surprising march to the Eastern Conference Finals. And it appears he’ll be sticking around for a bit longer.

ESPN reports that Harden and the Cavaliers have agreed on a three-year, $97 million contract that will keep Harden in Cleveland through the 2029-30 season. Harden joined the organization around the trade deadline last season and acquitted himself quite well. At 37 he is still a capable scorer and someone who the club feels confident running postseason offense through when it matters most.

Harden averaged 20.5 points, 7.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game in his 26 regular-season appearances with the Cavs last season. His production fell off a bit during the postseason run and he’ll remain a question mark on defense. Still, it makes sense that the Cavs would want another scorer with his type of ceiling headed into 2026-27.

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The move comes on the heels of the Cavaliers executing a trade earlier this week that will bring defensive specialist Peyton Watson into the fold.

Cavs 2026-27 projected starting lineup

This offseason has seen the Cavaliers lose some bench depth with the exits of Dean Wade, Dennis Schroeder and Max Strus. It will be interesting to see how the reserve unit bands together but Cleveland will be relying heavily on its starters to get them where they want to go.

Point guard: Donovan Mitchell

Shooting guard: Peyton Watson

Small forward: James Harden

Power forward: Evan Mobley

Center: Jarrett Allen