After a midnight bombshell rocked the NBA world and sent Cleveland Cavaliers fans into an existential crisis, the trade is now official. The Cavs have given up on Darius Garland and traded for former MVP guard James Harden.
They are sending Garland and a second-round pick to the Clippers for Harden, per Shams Charania, the Tuesday evening blockbuster everyone was waiting for all day.
Reporting in the last 24 hours was all over the place on the topic, from the shocking announcement that Harden was looking for a trade to the inexplicable report that the Cavaliers were seriously considering such a move. Rumbles over the last week were that the Cavs were ready for a big swing, the kind that meant moving on from one of their core players.
Rather than Giannis Antetokounmpo or Anthony Davis coming to The Land, however, it’s James Harden. The 11-time All-Star certainly has his share of accolades and is in the midst of a fantastic offensive season: 25.4 points, 8.1 assists, 4.8 rebounds. He has played in almost every game until sitting out the last two for personal reasons.
But things are never so simple with James Harden.
Trading for James Harden makes little sense
The Cavaliers are moving on from Darius Garland for some combination of his contract, his injuries and his playoff struggles. He has played in just 26 games this season as he tries to recover from offseason toe surgery, an injury he has reaggravated. He is currently sidelined and working his way back from the most recent aggravation.
When healthy, Garland is a special talent. He was an All-Star last season and very nearly an All-NBA player; essentially at the same basic level as Harden. Yet Garland is also a better off-ball player, is a decade younger and competes harder on defense — in large part because he competes at all.
The Cavs are understandably wondering if Garland can stand up in the playoffs — handling the defensive intensity, staying healthy, raising his game. Yet Harden is the king of playoff disappointments, with multiple duds in elimination games. A half-dozen times his team has lost as the favorite in a crucial playoff series.
The clock was ticking for the Cavaliers. Donovan Mitchell’s contract can be over as early as 2027. They have failed to make it past the second round over the last two years, and they are mired in the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff field this year. Garland has been hurt, Evan Mobley is currently sidelined, role players like DeAndre Hunter have disappointed (and Hunter was shipped off).
Is Harden the answer? Everything about his playoff track record screams that he is not. The Cavs need athleticism, size and intensity; instead they just traded for a sedentary, apathetic guard who disappears when his teams need him most. How could he possibly be the answer?
There could be more trades to come. Perhaps Giannis Antetokounmpo is still in play. The playoffs will be the ultimate test. But for this to be the Cavaliers big swing is akin to closing your eyes and swinging a whiffle bat in Game 7 of the World Series. At least you swung, but the odds of hitting that home run are infinitesimal.
James Harden is now a Cavalier. Both sides hope they can write a new story and leave behind the ghosts of the past.