Tyrese Maxey was James Harden's teammate for a couple of seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers. The new rising star in the City of Brotherly Love is a pretty great first-hand source as to what the experience of playing with Harden is like. As such, the Cleveland Cavaliers should perk up and listen.
Maxey was asked about seeing his old backcourt partner arriving back in the Eastern Conference after the Cavaliers swapped Darius Garland and a second-round pick over to the Los Angeles Clippers for him. The 76ers guard gave a very honest response.
"James is somebody who elevates the people that he plays with," Maxey said. "So, I know for a fact that he's gonna try to elevate [Donovan Mitchell] as much as he can."
It sure sounds like Maxey is well aware the direct competition to win the East just got a whole lot tougher with Harden on the Cavaliers. Watching the young 76ers star play now, the shades and tutelage of being former teammates with The Beard are easy to spot. Cleveland will be expecting that same kind of boost to be brought to their team moving forward.
Cavaliers are set up for success after James Harden trade
There was a large portion of the Cavaliers community that immediately cried out in frustration when Garland was traded. That was an odd sentiment to have considering that Cleveland won the trade.
Yes, Garland has been with the team since he was selected by the Cavaliers in 2019 NBA Draft. There is an attachment to that type of player, especially considering when he arrived (in the post-LeBron James era). However, the Cavaliers' championship ceiling this season rises with Harden.
Kevin O'Connor reported there were mounting frustrations due to Garland's injury issues in Cleveland. Can anyone blame the Cavaliers if that was true?
Garland has missed a ton of time recently, and in general, due to injuries. Having that unpredictable element dictate how your season will go has to be draining for everyone involved.
Harden has been very available for the Clippers in recent seasons. He's also just flat-out the better player, even while being about a decade older.
That part has oddly been lost on a ton of Cavaliers fans who are trying to wrap their head around the deal which Cleveland was fortunate to end up with. Maxey knows Harden will help the Cavs a ton. Pretty soon, Northeast Ohio should warm up to that reality too.