The Cleveland Cavaliers made their most surprising trade in franchise history. They sent out their 26-year-old All-Star point guard for someone who’s more accomplished and 10 years his senior in James Harden.
Opinions are justifiably divided on this trade. It’s reasonable to love or hate this move. What side you come down on is largely based on perspective.
If you’re Koby Altman, putting together the best team for 2026 seems to be the main priority. Given the state of the Eastern Conference, this season is his best shot at winning a title with a team he completely constructed.
Additionally, there’s the pressure that comes with creating the most expensive team in the league. Altman’s job may not be on the line, but the group he painstakingly built needs to make meaningful strides forward in the playoffs. There wouldn’t be any excuses for this team falling short in Donovan Mitchell’s fourth year with the team.
Speaking of Mitchell, the added weight of his upcoming free agency looms large in moves like this. He’d be justified in looking elsewhere this summer if he felt this team wasn’t able to compete at the highest level. And if he sacrificed four of his prime years with the doomed core four experiment, it’d be easy to justify exploring other options.
From Altman’s perspective, this season is likely all that matters. This team needs a point guard to pair alongside Mitchell. And if the one you currently have on the roster has injury concerns that would lead you to believe he will not be 100% in the playoffs, trading him for a clear upgrade is a massive win.
And make no mistake about it, Harden is a clear upgrade from the version of Garland we’ve seen this season.
Harden — even at 36 — is still playing at an elite level. He’s in the 88th percentile for points per shot attempt, 79th percentile for assist percentage, and 91st percentile for drawing shooting fouls. This is a dynamic scorer who can both handle double teams well and keep opponents from doubling Mitchell. Both are things that Garland hasn’t excelled at.
Any concerns about Harden’s playoff performance and ability to fit with Mitchell could be leveled at Garland as well. But at least with Harden, you’re banking on the guy who’s been the better and more proven player this season.
If you viewed this trade through the prism of this season being the only one that matters — which could be the one Altman is forced to view this — then this is a home run deal.
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That said, it’s wrong for everyone else to view moves the way front office executives do. Fans aren’t motivated to make deals because of job security. And the diehards that read blogs like this will still love the team whether they’re winning 20 or 60 games.
If you’re emotionally invested, it’s more fun to watch a team built organically. The Cavs were doing that. They made a splashy move for Mitchell, but that was only done because of the homegrown talent that was already in place.
We’ve seen Garland grow. He went from looking like a kid cosplaying as Luke Skywalker on draft night seven years ago to blossoming into one of the most fun point guards to watch. We followed along through Garland’s terrible rookie season in 2020 to being an All-Star two years later when the game was hosted in Cleveland. He then persevered through a difficult following season, only to have the best year of his career right after.
As a sports fan, the journey is often the destination. Being able to go on this ride with Garland with the hopes that it could eventually lead to a championship is the dream. And now, we’re robbed of knowing whether or not that was ever a possibility. That sucks.
There’s joy in watching your team compete for titles, but it’s not as much fun to root for mercenaries, and Harden is the ultimate basketball mercenary.
The uncertainty about the future is also concerning as a fan. It’s okay to sacrifice long-term stability for what could be an instant reward, but what does this look like in 2028 if things go poorly for the next two seasons? There isn’t a lot for the Cavs to securely hang their hat on. We know what it looks like for a team like the Brooklyn Nets, who’ve made similar short-term deals and been burned in the long run.
As a fan, you want your favorite hobby of watching a competitive basketball team to always be there during long winter nights. And even if it never brings a title, there’s worse ways to spend time than watching a team built around Garland and Evan Mobley. Now, that security is gone.
So what is the proper grade for this trade? I’m not sure if I can come up with one. I tend to view things more shortsightedly. If a move gives you a better chance to win this season, I’m almost always going to take it. That, however, doesn’t mean it’s the right way to view things.
From that perspective, the Cavs accomplished their goal. I doubted that this core could win a title. They’ve now created a path to do so and are in a position to make more win-now moves before Thursday’s deadline and in the offseason. But that move comes at a cost. And the cost is felt most by the fans.
We’ll have to wait until this spring to see if the move paid off. For now, I’m stuck giving it a half-hearted B-.