Last season, the Cleveland Cavaliers made one of the most surprising and polarizing moves in pro sports. Acquiring James Harden always comes with mixed reviews, and doing so by giving up Darius Garland only added more fuel to that fire.
Garland was hurt at the time, but he was also a homegrown talent, a former All-Star, and a decade younger than Harden. That said, he also came with injury baggage, a questionable fit next to Donovan Mitchell, playoff struggles, and a long-term commitment.
While last season was too early to say that the Cavaliers definitely won the trade, watching Garland with the Los Angeles Clippers in the early stages of the 2026-27 season may have Koby Altman feeling like a genius.
Darius Garland keeps proving the Cavaliers made the right decision
According to Clippers beat writer Joey Liin, the Clippers have been outscored by 68 points with Darius Garland on the floor this season, which is the sixth-worst in the NBA. To add insult to injury, his 5.2 turnovers per game are the second-most in the league, trailing only Luka Doncic (5.5).
Of course, that doesn't mean this move wasn't bold at the time. If anything, trading for Harden has never helped a team in the playoffs, and while availability wasn't a concern like it was with Garland, he's also a volatile character who can make life hell for his team whenever he wants out.
Fortunately, Harden bought in from the jump. He embraced his role alongside Mitchell, understood that this was Don's team, and even agreed to delay signing his new contract to give the Cavs financial flexibility to add Peyton Watson.
Also, it doesn't help that the Clippers were found guilty of circumventing the salary cap to pay Kawhi Leonard under the table and were essentially stripped of their star player and their future, but that's neither here nor there.
Darius Garland is a good player, and he's clearly not the only one to blame for his team's struggles. Nevertheless, there were plenty of signs that led the fans and the team to believe he just wasn't the player the Cavs needed at the time.
Now, whether Altman and company will still look like the winners of this trade once it's all said and done remains to be seen, and history isn't on the side that traded for Harden. For now, however, they should pat themselves on the back.
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