As the Cleveland Cavaliers prepare to face the LA Clippers Wednesday, February 4 in the Intuit Dome, trade speculation continues to boil over about the possibility that the two teams could trade star point guards at any moment.
First reported by Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, the Clips and Cavs are engaged in serious trade talks to send Darius Garland to the Clippers in exchange for former MVP James Harden. The news coincided with the initial report that Harden was seeking an exit from the Clippers before the deadline, a move that suddenly shifted LAC's focus for the near and distant future.
By the numbers, Harden is still outperforming Garland, especially as a scorer and playmaker. While Garland battles with repeated injury setbacks, Harden has been one of the Clippers' most consistent and available talents. Averaging 25.4 points, 8.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game, he is still contributing at an elite level for a veteran star.
Throughout his career, Harden has also established himself as one of the best guards at raising the level of play of his bigs. During Harden's Houston Rockets tenure, he helped a young Clint Capela dominate as a lob threat and offensive weapon. Harden's ability to coordinate an offense and challenge any defensive threats thrown at him have made him a definitive future Hall of Fame talent.
Still, Harden shrinks the Cavs' championship timeline while accelerating the team's chances to compete for a title this season. With a soon-to-expire contract, Cleveland might have viewed Harden as an immediate solution to their needs with Donovan Mitchell's prime years underway, but the latest news just sank that theory.
Harden's biggest selling point just disappeared
Harden, currently 36 years old, is in the final guaranteed year of his contract with a $42.3 million player option for the 2026-27 season. If the Cavaliers added The Beard to the ranks, he could offer more immediate cap flexibility for the Cavs depending on his offseason decision.
In contrast, Garland has two years left after this season, becoming a free agent after the 2027-28 season. In his final guaranteed year, he is owed $44.8 million. If the Cavs want to dodge the second apron and have more advantages to stay out of it in the future, moving on from Garland has a clear positive.
If, then, the Cavaliers view Harden as a win-now move with quick financial relief, the latest interview with Brian Windhorst immediately dispels that value for Cleveland.
"People I'm talking to, there's real momentum for this. Darius Garland is getting in his head that he's going to be a [LA] Clipper. James Harden is getting in his head he's going to be a [Cleveland Cavalier] and get taken care of. The Cavs are under pressure to perform in the playoffs and James Harden has an incredible record of performing in the regular season. His playoff record is mixed. So that is going to be a thing. When James Harden gets there, when he gets paid this money, whether it's guaranteeing next year's salary or gets a wink-wink understanding of more in the future, James Harden is going to have to deliver."
Brian Windhorst
Windhorst's words ring true. Harden is a high-value piece for any franchise looking to win this season or next. Despite some playoff lowlights, he has also put together tremendous postseason runs and has not lost his proficiency yet with age. Given Harden's more methodical, slow-burn pace to offense, he has been able to stay effective as a veteran and could still benefit the Cavs today.
Signing up for Harden three or four years down the line, however, is a different story. The Cavaliers have no assurances that Harden can maintain his efficiency for long enough to compete for years to come. If Harden expects a long-term contract commitment from Cleveland, the biggest financial selling point to swap Garland for Harden is gone.
Cleveland has reportedly requested additional draft compensation from the Clippers for sending a star guard 10 years younger than Harden. Given the Cavs' lack of draft capital for the future, that alone may make the balance of Harden today versus Harden tomorrow worth the risk.
Until the trade comes to manifest and finalize, the Cleveland Cavaliers are in the middle of a trade deadline tsunami. Nonetheless, the Cavs have already certainly fractured the franchise's relationship with Garland. Dismissing the trade this late in the process over a new contract deal might only lead to further problems quickly.