The Cleveland Cavaliers broke up the Core Four on Tuesday evening, trading All-Star guard Darius Garland to the Los Angeles Clippers for guard James Harden and a second-round pick, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
Harden, 36, is an 11-time All-Star who has played for five teams, the Cavs now his sixth. Originally selected with the third overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Harden has also spent time with the Houston Rockets from 2012 to 2021, the Brooklyn Nets from 2021 to 2022, the Philadelphia 76ers from 2022 to 2023 and the Clippers from 2023 until the trade Tuesday.
This season with the Clippers, Harden has played in 44 games, averaging 25.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 8.1 assists while shooting 41.9% from the field and 34.7% from three.
Garland was a first-round draft pick by the Cavs in 2019 and has appeared in 307 regular-season games with 303 starts. Over his seven seasons in Cleveland, he has averaged 18.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.16 steals in 33.9 minutes per game.
The 26-year-old guard has had a rocky season, dealing with toe injuries since the end of last season. Garland missed the first seven games after undergoing surgery on an injured toe, followed by months of rehab, and was ruled out for seven to 10 days in mid-January with a "Grade 1 right great toe sprain.”
RELATED:Cavs G Darius Garland diagnosed with toe sprain, out around 7-10 days
The trade comes days after the Cavs acquired guards Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder from Sacramento in a three-team deal that sent forward De'Andre Hunter to the Kings.
RELATED:Cavs acquire Ellis and Schroder in 3-team trade with Kings and Bulls, AP source says
The Cavaliers will add Harden and ship Garland while exploring other possible moves ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Thursday at 3 p.m.
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