The Cleveland Cavaliers were the natural choice for LeBron James this summer, and they were making preparations to welcome him back for the third time of his career. As it would turn out, however, James actually signed with the 76ers, shifting the Eastern Conference hierarchy in a way nobody saw coming.
For their part, the Cavaliers did their best to pitch James on another homecoming, but they ultimately failed to convince him. The issue, among other things, is the recent James Harden trade, which sent young point guard Darius Garland to the Clippers. LeBron reportedly preferred to play with Garland or Maxey over Harden, and it’s part of the reason he opted to head to Philadelphia.
“It’s not that the Cavs having Harden was a factor, but rather who the Cavs did not have,” said ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “To get Harden from the LA Clippers in February, the Cavs traded Darius Garland, a Klutch-repped point guard with whom James has had a years-long relationship. The comfort level with Maxey is clearly deeper than the comfort level with Harden, and I honestly believe that was part of it.”
LeBron doesn’t have anything personal against star guard James Harden, but he doesn’t trust him the same way he trusts Garland and Maxey. Even as a former MVP and 11x All-Star, Harden’s poor playoff track record speaks for itself, and we saw the cycle continue in this year’s postseason. Now, Harden is due for an extension while the Cavs try to figure out what to do next.
Before his final decision, Cleveland was one of the four finalists for James, along with the Warriors, Heat, and 76ers. At 41, he knew he was going to sign for the veteran minimum, and that’s why his biggest priority was finding a winning situation. With the Cavs, with their current roster, LeBron could have thrived on the wing, but he clearly had doubts in their ability to keep up with the NBA elites. Had Garland still been there, or they had managed to trade for Kyrie Irving, those doubts might not have been nearly as strong.
It should be noted that both Maxey and Garland are Clutch Sports clients, meaning both have pre-established relationships with LeBron. In Garland’s case, the King has long admired his competitive spirit, and he deeply values his play style as a dynamic playmaker, versatile scorer, and relentless leader on the floor. In 45 games last season, he averaged 18.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game on 47.1% shooting from the field.
Garland was on the Cavs for seven years and had varying degrees of success. But after their third-round loss to the Knicks in the playoffs, the Cavaliers chose Harden over him, believing that James was a better fit for their win-now roster. What they did not foresee was that the very act of trading Garland would ruin their chances for LeBron, but there’s no going back now.
With LeBron already decided, and Harden expecting a new contract, the Cavaliers have no choice but to concede his demands and run it back with an identical roster to last season. In a sense, trading for Harden caused the Cavs to lose both Garland and LeBron. It’s far from an ideal scenario, and it just goes to show the far-reaching consequences of trading such a skilled young player.
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