LOS ANGELES — Clippers point guard James Harden wants out of Los Angeles by Thursday’s trade deadline -- and Cleveland could become his next landing spot.
Sources tell cleveland.com that the surging Cavs have expressed interest in Harden, the 11-time All-Star who has helped the Clippers get back into play-in contention after a wretched 6-21 start to the season.
The talks between Cleveland and Los Angeles, which were said to not yet have reached the advanced stage, would be centered on injured point guard Darius Garland. The Cavs, sources say, would want draft-pick compensation in any Harden iteration.
Cleveland has also continued to discuss the possibility of shedding Lonzo Ball’s $10 million salary, which effectively serves as an expiring deal, to gain more financial flexibility.
Charlotte, Washington, Utah and Brooklyn are a few of the cap-space teams who could be willing to take on the contract — if incentivized.
Late last week, cleveland.com reported that the Cavs were actively looking to improve their roster ahead of Thursday’s 3 p.m. buzzer and one source said the team was “open for business.”
After canvassing the league for playmaking help over the last few months to ease the burden on Donovan Mitchell, the Cavs have already completed one deal, acquiring veteran point guard Dennis Schroder and rugged swingman Keon Ellis from Sacramento in exchange for De’Andre Hunter — part of a three-team trade that also included Chicago.
The Cavs seem motivated to keep enhancing the roster.
Harden, 36, has been ruled out of the Clippers’ last two games, one in Phoenix and the other at home, because of personal reasons. Los Angeles is reportedly willing to work with Harden’s representatives to see if a trade is feasible before Thursday.
The Clippers lost to the Philadelphia 76ers inside Intuit Dome Monday night. Afterward, teammates spoke with shock when asked about the news.
Harden is believed to be looking for a place where he can compete for a championship — and receive a contract extension. The veteran has veto power over any deal because he’s technically only under contract for this season as a One-Year Bird. The second year of his two-year, $81.5 million deal he agreed to this past offseason is a player option, which isn’t fully guaranteed — a contract he has outplayed.
In 44 games this season, Harden is averaging 25.4 points on 41.9% from the field, including 34.7% from 3-point range to go with 8.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds.
Garland, the longest tenured Cavalier (along with Dean Wade) and a member of the celebrated Core 4, has battled injuries once again.
Following offseason toe surgery, Garland missed Cleveland’s first seven games. He has been sidelined since Jan. 16 because of a sprained toe on his other foot and recently underwent re-evaluation that cleared the way for him to return to the court for individual workouts.
In 26 games this season, Garland is averaging 18.0 points and 6.9 assists.
The Clippers, sources say, have had interest in Garland for years. The two contracts are nearly identical, paving the way for a potential 1-for-1 swap.
Moving the oft-injured Garland, who has a not-so-flattering defensive profile and bulky contract (owed an additional $87 million the next two years), would create some future cap relief for the high-priced Cavs — the only team currently in the punitive second apron.
Even with Sunday’s trade, Cleveland is about $15 million over the second apron.
Shortly after that deal became official, president of basketball operations Koby Altman spoke with a sense of urgency.
“After careful evaluation and a clearer view of the Eastern Conference landscape, we believe adding Dennis and Keon strengthens our depth, expands our flexibility, and positions us to keep building a championship caliber team now and into the future,” said Altman. “In a season defined by its parity, this move better aligns us for a deeper postseason run.”
For the Cavs, who have flamed out of the playoffs the last three years and only recently recovered from a troubling start, everything is about spring.
And Harden offers something Garland doesn’t: vast postseason experience (173 total games), including an NBA Finals trip in 2011-12. From that standpoint, the Cavs could theoretically view him as a ready-made piece that better aligns with the organization’s championship timeline.
Or Cleveland, 30-21 and winners of eight of the last 10 games, could keep the core together and see what happens in the playoffs before drastically overhauling the roster.