The Cleveland Cavaliers were eliminated from the 2026 NBA Playoffs by the New York Knicks after a 130-93 loss in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Acquiring James Harden at the trade deadline allowed the Cavaliers to end an eight-year run without a Conference Finals appearance, but Harden disappeared as the Knicks swept Cleveland in a one-sided series.
Harden averaged 16.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists on 38.9% shooting from the field and 17.9% shooting from three over the series, dropping 12 points (2-8 FG) with five turnovers in Game 4. Out of the 18 Playoff games the Cavaliers played in 2026, Harden had more turnovers than made field goals, including Games 3 and 4 against the Knicks. This isn’t a one-time concern either, as Harden has had more tunrovers than made field goals in over 25% of the Playoff games he’s played over his career.
After the Cavaliers Game 4 loss, Harden’s superstar backcourt partner Donovan Mitchell spoke to Andscape’s Marc Spears and passionately defended Harden, comparing his contributions to basketball over his 17-year career to those of Stephen Curry, Michael Jordan, and Allen Iverson.
“This man changed the game of basketball. Changed the game of basketball in ways we have never seen before. We live in such a ring-dominant culture that we were willing to write a guy off, a guy that has transcended basketball. Seventy-five years, no one has done what he does. You can say the same about Steph Curry, [Allen] Iverson, [Michael] Jordan. James Harden is in there. So yeah, I can relate to not reaching a certain point. I also feel like we also don’t talk about [Harden’s] greatness enough.”
Mitchell scored 31 points in Game 4 as the only Cavalier who showed consistent effort in a low-energy Game 4, with Harden’s struggles as the point guard carrying over the service-dependent scorers such as Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Mitchell’s defense of Harden makes sense considering the reports that indicate Harden is likely going to return to the Cavaliers on a long-term contract after declining his $42.3 million player option this summer. While there might be alternate routes available to Harden for his offseason free agency decision, returning to Cleveland as they reportedly try to convince LeBron James to join the franchise might the best move for him.
Harden’s career contributions might be comparable to Allen Iverson’s, although it’s hard to say that any modern NBA player could replicate Iverson’s cultural impact. On-court, Harden and Iverson are both one-time MVPs, although Iverson also can claim to have led his team to the NBA Finals. Harden’s prime overlapped with a dynasty in his Conference, but that context often gets left out when criticizing Harden’s Playoff career.
There really isn’t an argument on or off the court to compare Harden’s contributions to either Curry or Jordan.
Curry is a four-time NBA Champion and was the first-ever NBA player to win the regular-season MVP unanimously. Harden and Curry are contemporaries, with Steph eliminating Harden multiple times en route to winning his NBA Championships. Off the court, Curry leads the NBA in jersey sales and is single-handedly attributed with changing the game by making the three-point shot the preferred shot for every NBA team.
Jordan is a six-time NBA Champion, six-time Finals MVP, five-time regular season MVP, a one-time Defensive Player of the Year, and a 10-time scoring champion. If we’re still arguing whether LeBron belongs in a conversation with Jordan in 2026, there really is no argument for Harden to be compared to Jordan outside being in an entirely different tier of the greatest guards in league history.
James Harden did influence the game by popularizing moves like the step-back three and exploiting the rule-set to maximize free throws, but his contributions pale in comparison to the legends that Mitchell named.
