CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cavs made headlines last week with their blockbuster trade of injured point guard Darius Garland to the Los Angeles Clippers for future Hall of Famer James Harden.
But did this high-risk, high-reward gamble actually improve the Wine & Gold’s title chances? According to cleveland.com columnist Terry Pluto on the latest Terry’s Talkin’ podcast, the answer is surprisingly straightforward.
“The answer to that is yes,” Pluto declared. “Would I rather have Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis and James Harden than Darius Garland and De’Andre Hunter? Absolutely. I would rather have that.”
Yet Pluto’s personal feelings about the trade are far more complicated. Despite acknowledging Harden’s superior talent, the veteran columnist expressed significant reservations about the baggage that comes with the mercurial superstar.
“I didn’t like the trade... James Harden’s a better player than Darius Garland at the moment, that’s for sure. And James Harden ... I mean he’s going to go in the Hall of Fame,” Pluto said.
“But for me, some things are just like I just can’t handle it mentally ... this is the fourth time in six years that he’s asked for a trade.”
Both teams appeared desperate to move on from their respective point guards, creating what Pluto described as a “trade of desperation.”
“It’s like two teams at high-priced point guards and they were both desperate to get rid of them, so they just traded their desperation. They really did,” Pluto said.
The Cavs front office had lost faith in Garland’s ability to deliver when it matters most. With his ongoing foot issues and inconsistent play, the Cavs made the difficult decision to gamble on Harden’s shorter career span but higher ceiling, despite his well-documented history of forcing his way out of situations he doesn’t like.
“The Cavs have zero confidence in Garland doing anything in the postseason for them. So why not try Harden?” Pluto said.
Harden made his Cavs debut on Saturday night in a 132-126 win at Sacramento. He played 32 minutes and scored 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting. The Cavs play at Denver tonight at 9 p.m. EST.
The question now becomes whether coach Kenny Atkinson can integrate Harden into an offense that already features ball-dominant Donovan Mitchell. When he’s engaged and motivated, Harden remains one of the NBA’s elite playmakers, particularly when it comes to feeding big men like Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
“He’s very good when the mood strikes him, and getting the ball with big men, he’s a good passer, the players in the post and looking for big guys,” Pluto said. “So when he’s cooking, watch that. Is he getting the ball to the big man? That kind of stuff.”
The other variable is that Harden’s reputation as a defensive liability precedes him.
“Can he at least put token defense out there? Will he do that?” Pluto asked.
With Mitchell still seeking his first conference finals appearance and eligible for a massive contract extension this summer, the Cavs have pushed their chips to the center of the table. Will the Harden gamble pay off with a deep playoff run, or will Cleveland become just the latest stop on Harden’s controversial NBA journey?
Listen to the latest episode of the podcast to hear more about this franchise-altering trade and what it means for the Cavaliers’ championship aspirations:
If you have a question or a topic you’d like to see included on the podcast, email it to sports@cleveland.com, and put “Terry’s Talkin’” in the subject line.
You can find previous podcasts below.