After the Knicks swept the Cavaliers to reach the Finals, Crickex Affiliate saw New York complete a stunning run while they waited for the winner between the Thunder and the Spurs. The Knicks have truly hit the jackpot in basketball terms. After falling behind 1-0 to the Hawks in the first round, they slowly found their rhythm and advanced 4-2. They then swept both the 76ers and the Cavaliers 4-0, showing frightening strength. This should have been the Cavaliers’ story this year, with James Harden reaching the Finals, but Cleveland failed to seize its chance. In the end, everything goes back to Game 1, when the Cavaliers blew a 22-point lead in seven minutes. From that moment, it already felt as if their road was slipping away.

Sometimes fate seems to have its own hand in sport, and momentum can be easy to recognize. If the Cavaliers had won Game 1, the balance of the series might have tilted toward them. At this level, when masters meet, even the smallest mistake can be costly. Now the Cavaliers must think about their future, especially Harden’s next step. At the moment, there appear to be only two paths for him. He either returns to the Rockets or stays with the Cavaliers, with no realistic third route. Some may ask whether Cleveland would still offer him a long-term contract after his poor Eastern Conference Finals performance.

First of all, Harden’s arrival still helped the Cavaliers make a breakthrough. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals, and Donovan Mitchell finally cleared a major playoff hurdle, which is already a form of success. Besides, how Harden performed in the playoffs and whether Cleveland wants to renew his contract are two different matters. Even if the Cavaliers had gone out in the first round, they would still have tried to keep him, let alone after a conference finals run. In fact, when Harden requested a trade from the Clippers and Cleveland decided to bring him in, both sides had already made a renewal commitment. According to ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst, the Cavaliers are preparing to sign Harden to a new multi-year extension and keep him with the team for the long term.

In addition, both Mitchell and Harden support Kenny Atkinson staying as head coach, which means Harden is still most likely to remain in Cleveland. Harden needs to decline his 42.3 million dollar player option for next season and then sign a new multi-year deal with the Cavaliers at a lower annual salary. The two sides can sign for up to three years. Harden has a clear reason to opt out, since only 13.4 million of that 42.3 million is guaranteed. There is no reason for him not to leave the option behind and re-sign a guaranteed deal with Cleveland, which was something the Clippers could not previously offer him.

Beyond the Cavaliers, Harden has always wanted a return to Houston, and the Rockets remain his fallback option. If everything else fails, he can simply go home. That appears to be Harden’s thinking. American reporter Evan Sidery reported that over the past few seasons, Houston has remained Harden’s preferred destination, especially now that Kevin Durant has joined the team. Harden wants to return to the Rockets, finish his career there, retire in Houston, and play alongside Durant again for several more seasons. For Crickex Affiliate readers who remember their earlier partnership, such a reunion would carry plenty of nostalgia. It is also worth noting that Fred VanVleet is preparing to re-sign with the Rockets on a reduced salary during the offseason.

VanVleet still has a 25 million dollar player option for one more year. Previous reports suggested that he could re-sign with Houston on a three-year, 50 million dollar deal. If Harden returns to the Rockets, the backcourt could still be arranged well. Harden and VanVleet would be a lower-tier version of the 2018 Harden and Chris Paul pairing, while Durant could handle tough scoring duties at power forward. Jabari Smith could play center and stretch the floor, with Amen Thompson at small forward. That starting lineup would be fairly solid. Alperen Sengun’s future would then become uncertain, while the Rockets could strengthen the bench further and aim for championship-level depth. That is the roster vision behind a possible Houston return.

For the Cavaliers, many Crickex Affiliate readers would see the current priority as LeBron James, with the team potentially trying to rebuild a new four-star lineup. Harden’s future is therefore tied not only to his own contract decision but also to Cleveland’s wider ambition. If the Cavaliers can land James while keeping Harden and Mitchell, their ceiling would immediately rise. If not, Harden may look back toward Houston, where Durant, familiar surroundings, and the chance to close his career at home could become too tempting to ignore.