James Harden's patience is paying off for his latest contract with the Cavaliers

After missing out on LeBron James in the offseason, the Cleveland Cavaliers seem focused on building on the foundation of the team that made the Eastern Conference Finals. With Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley locked into long-term deals, extending point guard James Harden seems to be the next step.

Despite his struggles, Harden is still a positive for the Cavaliers, especially as the primary playmaker. He opens up the offense for Donovan Mitchell while providing impressive passes to the big men in Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Now, they have been hard at work on a new contract in Cleveland.

James Harden continues to work on his new deal with the Cavaliers 

When Darius Garland was struggling with injuries, it was clear that the Cavaliers were struggling to have a good offense. Mitchell did his best to carry the load, but it was clear the Cavs needed reinforcements, so they pulled the trigger on the swap between them and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Harden was a positive for the Cavs because of his leadership and playmaking. Unfortunately, it all ended in a sweep loss to the New York Knicks, which was an eye-opening loss for the Cavs. They wanted to close the gap by shooting for a LeBron return, but that did not happen because he joined the Philadelphia 76ers.

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Since the season ended, it seems Harden has made it known that he wants to return to Cleveland. He has been patient with his negotiations with the Cavs, as he knows they want to have a well-structured deal that benefits everyone

"The Cavaliers are working through different iterations of a deal, trying to come up with something that's best for James and also best for them. And to James' credit, they're saying that he's been patient; his people have been patient, and I hear that they expect a resolution to come soon for him to re-sign," Marc Spears said about Harden on NBA Today.

It will be interesting to see the final number with Harden's new contract. He is ready to keep playing, and the Cavaliers seem to like what he brought to the table since they acquired him at the trade deadline. However, it might not be the only move they want to make to take the next step.

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