The biggest trade of the NBA season just happened, and it featured some familiar names. The latest intel comes from Cleveland, where the Cavaliers have made a major change at the point guard position. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Cavs have agreed on a trade to acquire James Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Darius Garland.
Trade Details
Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: James Harden
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Darius Garland, second-round pick
The deal comes at a time when the Clippers have been rolling. As winners of seven of their last 10 games, the team has been playing some of its best basketball in months, and managed to climb up to the ninth seed in the West after a horrific start to the season. Harden was a major part of that, serving as the primary ball-handler and secondary scorer with averages of 25.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 8.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game on 41.9% shooting and 34.7% shooting from three.
We may never know the full story of Harden’s exit from the Clippers, but he doesn’t have the patience for losing situations at 36 years old. At this stage of his career, James wants to succeed without the drama, and he no longer believes that’s possible on a Clippers team that faces a massive uphill climb. On the Cavaliers, Harden has a much better chance to win alongside teammates like Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.
Meanwhile, the Clippers take a gamble on Garland, who has struggled to stay healthy. He has been limited to just 26 games this season with a nagging toe problem, and that’s on top of his previous leg injuries. At 26 years old, the fact that the Cavs had to attach a second-round pick in the deal goes to show just how far his value has dropped over the years.
In the 2025-26 campaign, he’s putting up a respectable 18.0 points, 6.9 assists, 2.4 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game on 45.1% shooting and 36.0% shooting from three. On paper, he’s a model two-way guard, but his skills have not translated well in Cleveland. Inconsistency, shooting struggles, and poor decision-making have made for a questionable fit on a Cavaliers team that is desperate to make a run.
Going forward, we shouldn’t expect any more major moves from the Cavaliers, who are still very much in win-now mode. The same cannot be said for the Clippers, however, who must now make some major decisions over the next few days. With Harden gone and replaced with a younger, less assured option, it raises some questions about the direction of their team and any potential trade plans for the rest of the roster.
