The Cavaliers didn’t wake up and randomly decide to stir the pot around Donovan Mitchell. This is trade-deadline week, they already made a cost-cutting reshuffle by moving De’Andre Hunter, and now the league is reacting to the next domino that’s actually being discussed: James Harden for Darius Garland.
Chris Haynes reported the Cavaliers and Clippers are in advanced talks on a framework that would send Harden to the Cavaliers with Garland headlining what goes back, with the trade deadline set for Thursday, February 5. Harden has also missed the Clippers’ last two games for personal reasons, which only turned the volume up on the situation.
That’s where the Mitchell angle really comes from. Salary and timeline. That’s the backdrop for why Yossi Gozlan framed it the way he did: the Cavaliers probably can’t keep all three of Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Darius Garland long term. In his words:
“Realistically, the Cavaliers can keep two of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, & Darius Garland in the long run. This trade would indicate their commitment to Mitchell, who can extend this summer for up to four years, $273 million. FWIW, Harden expires in time for Mitchell’s next deal.”
And the subtext is obvious: if Mitchell doesn’t extend, the cleanest way to protect the asset is to trade him. That’s why the rumors feel hotter now, not because Mitchell suddenly became available, but because the Cavaliers are making moves that force the league to re-evaluate what their endgame is.
This is still a Cavaliers team, but it is Donovan Mitchell’s team. He’s playing like a true No. 1, putting up 28.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists a night on 48.3% from the field, 38.2% from three, and 84.2% from the line.
Evan Mobley is the easy “keep” on paper because he’s the two-way ceiling raiser, and he’s been steady again this season at 17.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists, plus 2.0 blocks, on 51.2% from the field. But the real pressure point is Garland, because he’s missed time and his toe issue has become part of the story, not just a footnote.
Meanwhile, Sam Amick of The Athletic reported the Cavaliers have been gauging Jarrett Allen’s trade value as a way to open up “bigger possibilities” ahead of the deadline.
And if Mitchell gets to the summer without an extension, that’s when the tone changes from “noise” to “asset protection.” Tim Bontemps has said people around the league are watching the situation because of how the contract timeline is lining up. That’s the basic leverage reality: if he doesn’t extend, the cleanest way for the Cavaliers to avoid a slow bleed is to trade him, even if it’s ugly.
The Main Reason Behind The Smoke
The reason this popped now is that the reporting has gotten specific. Chris Mannix wrote first that the Cavaliers and the Clippers have been in advanced discussions on a deal framework sending James Harden to the Cavaliers, with Darius Garland headlining what goes back.
ESPN also reported that Harden and the Clippers have been exploring trade possibilities, with Shams Charania breaking the news late last night as the reports started to take shape.
Basketball-wise, I get it. Harden is still a high-usage engine, 25.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 8.1 assists, on 41.9% from the field, 34.7% from three, and 90.1% from the line.
If the Cavaliers believe Mitchell is the franchise star, then swapping Garland for Harden is basically a vote to simplify: Mitchell plus one veteran playmaker, Mobley as the long-term co-star, and you live with the defensive tradeoffs because the offense is harder to guard in May.
There’s also been reporting on Mitchell’s stance. Marc Stein and Jake Fischer said it’s believed Mitchell would welcome Harden to take some of the playmaking burden off him. That matters because it connects the dots: if Garland is gone, Mitchell’s role becomes even more central, and that makes a four-year, $273 million extension decision feel like the actual storyline, not the rumor mill.
The Cavaliers’ move sending De’Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings in a three-team trade was also framed as major tax relief, which is exactly the kind of boring-but-important signal you see before a bigger swing.
And yeah, the league context is getting louder too. LeBron James’ Lakers rumors are back on the menu, with Fischer saying on a livestream that there’s a “foregone sentiment” both sides are ready to move on this summer.
If that’s real, it’s another reason the Cavaliers can’t afford to drift: Mitchell’s next decision is coming fast, and the East could reshuffle if James ends up back in The Land. (LeBron is still productive, 21.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists on 50.5% shooting this season.)
The Cavaliers are already behaving like they’ve chosen Mitchell as the one star they can’t lose. If the extension gets done, everything else becomes roster Tetris. If it doesn’t, the trade rumors won’t just “heat up,” they’ll become the plan.
