The Cleveland Cavaliers have traded Darius Garland and their 2026 second-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for James Harden, ClutchPoints has learned via multiple league sources. In a shocking move before Thursday's NBA trade deadline, the Cavs have dealt away their two-time All-Star point guard for a veteran searching for NBA championship gold and financial security.
We've already been over Cleveland's possible motive behind making such a move. What about Harden's fit as a player? Let's strip it down.
First off, you think about the possibilities with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Harden is a pick-and-roll savant who can fling perfectly placed one-handed bounce passes in the pocket for rolling bigs. There's a reason that Ivica Zubac loves playing with him, as did Joel Embiid and Clint Capela. Mobley's looks will come more often and in better positions.
He has his own pace on the perimeter, lulling defenses to sleep and picking his moments. It's either a step-back and pull, searching for contact on drives, or a lob when drawing defenders. He's got a niche for a push shot over the top as well.
Harden next to Donovan Mitchell is another story. The main knock on the Garland-Mitchell backcourt was that two small guards can't coexist as ball-dominant players. What do we think Harden is? Some cutting, spot-up aficionado?
The difference between a Garland-Mitchell backcourt and a Harden-Mitchell backcourt is a slower game, a beard, four inches of height, 10 years of age, and 25 pounds of muscle. Unless Mitchell gets off the rock, plants himself on the perimeter, or is put in screening actions, the same questions will be asked. There will probably be more possessions taking turns than working as a tandem.
Defensively, Harden is a bigger body, which, in a physicality sense, is okay. Laterally, he's not been able to keep up with the younger, taller, faster guards in this league. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Clippers are allowing 120.6 points per 100 possessions on a 55.8% effective field goal percentage with him on the floor. When Harden sits, LA's defensive rating improves to 112.7, and opponents' eFG% dips to 52.0%.
Depending on Cleveland's roster construction, Mobley and Allen provide cover for that. But at the same time, teams will pick on the older vet every time, just as they have done with Garland; what good is size if little is done with it? Guarding pick-and-roll ball-handlers, Harden is allowing 0.89 points per possession, with teams scoring on 43.6% of their possessions. Against rollers, that number is 1.15 PPP at 55.6%.
The lone redeeming quality about Harden on that end is his ability to chest up. His isolation defense (0.72 PPP) is actually among the top 10 in the league, and he's bodied bigs firmly on the block for a while now.
Harden's offensive talent comes without question. The 36-year-old is having an admirable season, averaging 25.4 points, 8.1 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in over 35 minutes per game across 44 contests. He and Kawhi Leonard have been the guys to keep LA in the hunt in the Western Conference after an abysmal start.
The Clippers' ORTG is a ridiculous 120.3 with him on the court and 109.6 with him off, and the team thrives on free-throw rate (25.8 made per 100 field goal attempts). Getting downhill and to the basket at his own pace is what makes him so good at his craft, and it forces the opposition to react.
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Notice that this is all about the half-court, though. The Cavs, focused lately on pushing the tempo, will have to reinvent their style with Harden. He and the Clippers play at a slog of a pace. Historically, Harden's average possessions per game have not exceeded 100 since the pandemic season.
You can't hide the fact that Harden is in the last stages of his career as a player. He doesn't depend on athleticism to be effective, so he could still play for another two or three seasons. He's also available and has been durable throughout his career. But he's searching for that final (so we think) payday.
Despite how well he's played and fit with the organization alongside Leonard, the Clippers didn't want to give him the extension amount he's asking for. Meanwhile, he's looking for cover, which is understandable given his age. Whether the Cavs provide that or not remains to be seen.
Labels are usually overblown, but patterns are hard to ignore. While it shouldn't be seen as an individual stat, Harden's playoff reputation precedes itself.
He has been to 16 postseasons with five different teams. With the exception of his formative sixth-man days with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Harden has been to the conference finals only two times in his career. Teams he's been on have had a first-round playoff exit five times and been eliminated in the second round the same number.
A grade for a fit in Cleveland is incomplete because we don't know what's next for him or for the Cavs, who are still actively looking at avenues to reshape this roster. This is more about moving off Garland's money to get under the second apron than acquiring Harden.
As a standalone transaction, this doesn't make sense now or in the near future.
Cavs trade grade: D