James Harden, Darius Garland
The 2026 NBA trade deadline is going to wind up being one of the most memorable ones in a long time. No trade will top the craziness of last year when Shams Charania reported that Luka Doncic was being dealt for Anthony Davis.
But already with two days left until the final day to make trades, Jaren Jackson Jr. has been traded to the Utah Jazz. Nikola Vucevic was finally traded by the Chicago Bulls, over to the Boston Celtics.
Well above those big moves though, was a gigantic one. Finalized in the last couple of hours, 11X All-Star James Harden was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. His team having won 16 of 20 games, he publicly requested a trade just yesterday.
The Los Angeles Clippers will be bringing in Darius Garland and a second-round pick in his stead. A trade as odd as it sounds is now official. Time to break things down.
James Harden, the Cleveland Cavalier
What a time to be alive, where James Harden has been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s going to make one heck of a backcourt pairing with Donovan Mitchell over there. At 36 years of age, he certainly isn’t anywhere near as youthful as Darius Garland was. But, he’s in the midst of his best season since 2019-20 back in Houston.
At 25 points per game, Harden is achieving his highest mark since his the bubble year. After helping the Clippers to win 16 of 20 games, it was a bit surprising to see the trade request last night. And less than 24 hours later, he’s gone from All-Star snub in the West, to a brand new conference altogether.
Harden put LA on his back and played an an extremely high level this season. Being able to stay on the floor has been significant, especially as Kawhi Leonard was once again floundering with his inconsistent availability.
It is unclear what the final roster will look like in Cleveland beyond Thursday’s deadline. There have been rumors about moving Jarrett Allen and/or Evan Mobley, to try and acquire another star. As it stands now, Harden will step into the starting lineup with Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, Jaylon Tyson, and probably Dean Wade for the interim.
Evan Mobley, out with a calf strain, should return within a week, if he is in fact sticking around.
Surprising as it was to see Garland get moved (for Harden), it certainly opens up the possibility that they could try and do more.
James Harden On to Next Chapter
The last several teams James Harden has played for have all made the playoffs. Joining Cleveland almost assures a 17th consecutive postseason appearance for The Beard.
His time in Houston ended with a trade request. The same thing happened in Brooklyn. Then in Philadelphia, he made a statement saying he would not play for Daryl Morey again. Off to LA. Rinse and repeat. Harden has thrived in the regular season in all of these places, but is yet to make the conference finals since he was teaming with Chris Paul.
In Cleveland, now 36 years of age, this is likely Harden’s final chance to win an NBA championship. He brings veteran experience and can handle playmaking duties. This will enable Donovan Mitchell to play more off the ball, and be able to rest a bit on certain offensive possessions.
LA is the winner of trade at first look due to the fact they traded an aging star for a young, promising point guard of the future. But if the Cavs can manage to put it all together and win a championship, it could be looked at differently.
The Cavs play the Clippers tomorrow night in LA.