The Cavaliers had no plans to move on from James Harden this summer regardless of what happened with LeBron James, sources tell Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. Now that the James saga is resolved, Harden is expected to sign a new two- or three-year contract fairly soon that will help the team avoid the second apron, Siegel adds. Harden declined his $42.3MM player option in late June with the expectation of getting a longer-term deal.

Siegel also addresses rumors that James had real interest in returning to Cleveland when free agency began, but he didn’t want to team up with Harden. Siegel states that it’s not a coincidence that reports of James’ desire to reunite with Kyrie Irving emerged while he was considering his options in free agency. However, sources tell Siegel that the Cavaliers and Mavericks never had any discussions about a potential Harden-Irving swap.

Siegel believes James was influenced by the Cavs’ failure to upgrade their roster since being swept by New York in the Eastern Conference finals. The current team is virtually the same, except for the losses of Dean Wade and Keon Ellis in free agency. Siegel suggests that parting with Evan Mobley in a trade for Brown might have improved the chances of James coming to Cleveland, but it still wouldn’t have been a guarantee.

There’s more on the Cavs:

• The only significant free agent left for Cleveland to pursue is Jonathan Kuminga in a sign-and-trade with the Hawks, Siegel adds. The Lakers also have interest in Kuminga, who is reportedly looking for a contract worth $14MM to $18MM annually. Siegel notes that the Cavaliers have several players they could offer in a potential deal, including Dennis Schröder, who is under contract for $14.8MM next season and $15.5MM in 2027/28.
• The Cavs are willing to part with Schröder because of their confidence in second-round pick Meleek Thomas, according to Siegel. Thomas earned first-team honors at the Las Vegas Summer League, and team officials believe he could be ready to play significant minutes right away as a combo guard off the bench.
• Cleveland explored the possibility of trading for Denver forward Cameron Johnson heading into the draft, sources tell Siegel. Although the Nuggets were open to offers at the time, no deal was reached and they’re now believed to be leaning toward keeping Johnson for the upcoming season. The Cavs continue to have interest in Pelicans forward Herbert Jones, Siegel adds, but the asking price remains “exceptionally high.”