The Milwaukee Bucks still have Giannis Antetokounmpo at the time of this writing, but their division rivals, the Cleveland Cavaliers, have moved the needle ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline with a blockbuster move.
On Tuesday night, Shams Charania of ESPN broke the news that the Cavs have landed former NBA Most Valuable Player James Harden via a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers that also involved star guard Darius Garland.
Via Charania on X, formerly Twitter:
BREAKING: The Los Angeles Clippers are trading James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland and a second-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Prolific swap of the star point guards.
More from Charania:
Harden and the Clippers worked through his exit over the last few days — resulting in a beneficial outcome for the sides: A win-now opportunity for Harden playing at a high level at 36 and recent two-time All-Star in Garland at 26 for the Clippers present and future.
Milwaukee’s rival adds ex-MVP before trade deadline
The Cavs sent a huge message not just across the Eastern Conference but to the rest of the league about how serious they are at going after an NBA championship in the 2025-26 season with this move on Harden.
Although Harden is already 36 years old, he is still among the best players in the league.
So far in the 2025-26 campaign, the former Arizona State Sun Devils star and 11-time NBA All-Star is putting up 25.4 points per game while averaging 8.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds per outing. It remains to be seen how he will fit with the Cavs, but Harden is certainly a huge addition to Cleveland.
As for Antetokounmpo, the world continues to wait on his fate in Milwaukee.
Jan 25, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; LA Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) and guard Harden (1) defend against Milwaukee forward Antetokounmpo (34) in the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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