The NBA Trade Deadline never fails to provide shock value, and that is exactly what the Cleveland Cavaliers and James Harden provided over these last couple days.
Harden reportedly wanted to move on from the Clippers, the Cavs wanted to move on from Darius Garland to maximize their championship window, and that resulted in the All-Star guards being swapped for each other.
Cleveland and LA had been two of the better teams in basketball over the last month or so. The Clippers are 17-4 in their last 21 games, while the Cavs have won 13 of their last 18 games. So both teams shaking things up dramatically comes as a surprise. With all of that, grading this deal is not easy.
The Cavaliers and Clippers both come out on top in this deal
Win-win trades are rare in today’s NBA, but this is about as close to win-win as it gets for both organizations.
For Cleveland’s side of things, the rationale is simple: they are in win-now mode with Donovan Mitchell at the helm. They have had three years of playoff failures, he has remained patient through all of it, and he even re-signed in the 2024 offseason.
Now though, Mitchell has one guaranteed year left on his deal after this season, with a player option looming prior to the 2027-28 season. He wants to get deep into the playoffs and he and his camp reportedly told the Cavs’ front office that they did not want to stand pat at the deadline. The East is there for the taking with Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton out of the picture. Cleveland knows that they aren’t going to have many bites at the playoff apple, and with Garland’s well-documented health troubles, and the fact that he likely would be compromised come the playoffs, they needed to make a swing.
Harden helps them maintain their championship window. He is playing at an All-NBA level still at 36-years old, and had a case to be an All-Star this year. He was a big reason for the Clippers’ turnaround this season, and he has completely reinvented his game into a pass-first point guard. He should fit in well next to Mitchell, but he should also elevate the games of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. This trade makes the Cavs better in the short-term.
For LA, they want to maintain flexibility beyond this year. They are set to have loads of cap space in 2027 to rebuild their team, which is the path they want to take. Getting younger at the point guard spot with Garland, who is a two-time All-Star, is a great move.
Garland is one of the shiftier guards in the league, and is a pick-and-roll maestro. He should fit right in with Ivica Zubac. He will also be playing next to Kawhi Leonard, who thrives when he has an elite playmaker next to him. We saw that with Harden, and while Garland is not the better player, his strengths are similar to Harden’s when it comes to playmaking.
He is also a strong spacer, can play on and off the ball, and the Clippers’ offense shouldn’t miss a beat with him at the helm. Health is definitely a concern, but when he’s available, Garland is one of the league’s better point guards.
Both teams got what they wanted in this swap. Maybe this is what propels the Cavs forward in the playoffs and maybe Garland can help usher in a new era of Clippers basketball, just like he did in Cleveland.