LOS ANGELES: The Houston Rockets inked star guard James Harden to a four-year contract extension worth $118 million, the NBA team announced on Saturday.
The deal was announced after the team’s introduction of newly acquired free agents Eric Gordon and forward Ryan Anderson.
“I’m truly excited more than ever,” Harden said.
“Ever since I stepped foot in Houston, it’s nothing but love. ... I’m happy to be here another four years. It’s been a progress. It’s been a build up. The addition of our new signings and a couple other pieces, good things are going to happen next year.”
Harden, 26, arrived in Houston prior to the 2012-13 season via a trade from Oklahoma City. With the Rockets he has developed into one of the league’s premier scorers.
Under the deal his annual salary will go from $16 million to $26.5 million under the new salary cap next season, and increase incrementally over the remainder of the contract.
Harden enjoyed the best season of his career in 2015-16, averaging 29 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game for a Rockets team that was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Golden State Warriors.
Elsewhere, the Sacramento Kings have announced the signings of free agent guards Arron Afflalo and Garrett Temple and forward Matt Barnes and Anthony Tolliver.
The deals were agreed to earlier in the week and officially signed on Saturday.
Afflalo averaged 12.8 points and shot 38 percent from 3-point range last season with the New York Knicks.
Temple is back for a second stint with the Kings after playing five games for Sacramento in 2009-10. He averaged a career-high 7.3 points per game last season for Washington.
Barnes is also back for a second run with his hometown team, having played for Sacramento in 2004-05. He averaged 10 points per game last season with Memphis.
Tolliver played a career-high 72 games last season for Detroit, averaging 5.3 points per game.
The Golden State Warriors have officially announced that free agent forward David West has signed his one-year contract.
West agreed to the deal for the veteran’s minimum earlier in the week before signing it on Saturday.
The 35-year-old West averaged 7.1 points and 4.0 rebounds in 78 games last season for San Antonio.
West is entering his 14th season in the league, and he has yet to capture a championship. He hopes that joining a team with four All-Stars after the signing of Kevin Durant should give him the best chance yet.
The New York Knicks signed Lithuanian forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas on Saturday.
A 6-foot-9, 215-pound player, Kuzminskas has averaged 8.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 221 career games over seven seasons with Siauliai (Lithuania), Zalgris (Lithuania) and Malaga (Spain). He is a four-time Lithuanian all-star (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) and three-time Lithuanian national champion (2011, 2012, 2013).
Kuzminskas, 26, scored 12 points on 48.6-percent shooting, and pulled in 3.4 rebounds in 23 games for Malaga last season.
The deal was announced after the team’s introduction of newly acquired free agents Eric Gordon and forward Ryan Anderson.
“I’m truly excited more than ever,” Harden said.
“Ever since I stepped foot in Houston, it’s nothing but love. ... I’m happy to be here another four years. It’s been a progress. It’s been a build up. The addition of our new signings and a couple other pieces, good things are going to happen next year.”
Harden, 26, arrived in Houston prior to the 2012-13 season via a trade from Oklahoma City. With the Rockets he has developed into one of the league’s premier scorers.
Under the deal his annual salary will go from $16 million to $26.5 million under the new salary cap next season, and increase incrementally over the remainder of the contract.
Harden enjoyed the best season of his career in 2015-16, averaging 29 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game for a Rockets team that was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Golden State Warriors.
Elsewhere, the Sacramento Kings have announced the signings of free agent guards Arron Afflalo and Garrett Temple and forward Matt Barnes and Anthony Tolliver.
The deals were agreed to earlier in the week and officially signed on Saturday.
Afflalo averaged 12.8 points and shot 38 percent from 3-point range last season with the New York Knicks.
Temple is back for a second stint with the Kings after playing five games for Sacramento in 2009-10. He averaged a career-high 7.3 points per game last season for Washington.
Barnes is also back for a second run with his hometown team, having played for Sacramento in 2004-05. He averaged 10 points per game last season with Memphis.
Tolliver played a career-high 72 games last season for Detroit, averaging 5.3 points per game.
The Golden State Warriors have officially announced that free agent forward David West has signed his one-year contract.
West agreed to the deal for the veteran’s minimum earlier in the week before signing it on Saturday.
The 35-year-old West averaged 7.1 points and 4.0 rebounds in 78 games last season for San Antonio.
West is entering his 14th season in the league, and he has yet to capture a championship. He hopes that joining a team with four All-Stars after the signing of Kevin Durant should give him the best chance yet.
The New York Knicks signed Lithuanian forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas on Saturday.
A 6-foot-9, 215-pound player, Kuzminskas has averaged 8.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 221 career games over seven seasons with Siauliai (Lithuania), Zalgris (Lithuania) and Malaga (Spain). He is a four-time Lithuanian all-star (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) and three-time Lithuanian national champion (2011, 2012, 2013).
Kuzminskas, 26, scored 12 points on 48.6-percent shooting, and pulled in 3.4 rebounds in 23 games for Malaga last season.
