The trade deadline has reached a fever pitch! In a stunning superstar swap, the Cleveland Cavaliers and LA Clippers have officially exchanged All-Star guards James Harden and Darius Garland. Is Harden the missing piece for a Cleveland title run, or have the Clippers pulled off the ultimate heist for their future? From injury concerns to salary cap gambles, we’ve got the full breakdown of the grades and what this means for the playoff race. WATCH the details of the biggest deal of the season!
The Cavaliers and Clippers reach a consensus on a major point guard exchange as the trade deadline nears.
In what represents the most significant transaction ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the LA Clippers reached a consensus Tuesday to exchange lead guards Darius Garland and James Harden in a straight swap that also transfers a 2026 second-round selection to the Clippers, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Both franchises are anticipating that this exchange of 2025 All-Stars with virtually equivalent compensation will generate superior outcomes throughout underwhelming seasons. The Cavaliers are fighting for placement in the center of the Eastern Conference postseason hunt after concluding at the peak of the rankings one year ago, while the Clippers’ current winning stretch has moved them merely into the play-in bracket following a dismal beginning.
The deal: Harden joins Cavaliers; Clippers get Garland, second-rounder
- Cleveland Cavaliers get: G James Harden
- LA Clippers get: G Darius Garland, 2026 second-round pick
Grades
Cleveland Cavaliers: B What this transaction signifies for the Cavaliers: Upon further consideration, I increasingly favor Cleveland acquiring Harden to energize an offense that currently sits eighth in offensive efficiency this year after pacing the association in 2024-25 during a 64-victory run.
Garland’s toe ailments have been a primary element in that downturn. He has been managing toe complications since April, and summer surgery hasn’t rectified them. Garland sustained a bruise to his problematic left toe shortly after his return in November, and he is presently sidelined by a big toe sprain on the right foot.
When he has been available, Garland is converting just 36% of his attempts from deep, down from 40% a season ago. His usage percentage has diminished as well, while Garland’s steal frequency would be the lowest since his debut season. To remain competitive, Cleveland has depended significantly on Donovan Mitchell, who is logging 33.9 minutes per contest and holds his highest usage percentage since his tenure with the Utah Jazz.
Enter Harden, who is still performing at an All-Star caliber at age 36. He sits 11th in my wins above replacement player (WARP) calculation this season, leading all players who were not selected for the event now that Kawhi Leonard was named an injury replacement. While Harden and Mitchell both prefer to possess the ball, Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson can utilize Harden’s prior history to keep both players durable and rested. When Harden played with Chris Paul in Houston, coach Mike D’Antoni strictly alternated their minutes to ensure one remained on the court whenever the game was competitive.
LA Clippers: B- What this transaction signifies for the Clippers: A substantial pivot from their existing trajectory, which was constructed around immediate contention while maintaining financial flexibility for the elite assembly of prospective 2027 free agents—a collection that includes Mitchell.
Trading Harden might have appeared more logical in December when the Clippers were 15 games below .500, but they subsequently secured 16 victories in a 19-game span to return to play-in contention. Nevertheless, I can comprehend the Clippers withdrawing from their win-now framework. Projections give them merely a 5% probability of reaching the top six and avoiding the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the opening round.
More unexpected is the Clippers’ inclination to absorb Garland’s contract, which extends through 2027-28 at $44.9 million. With Garland and Ivica Zubac on the ledger, the Clippers still possess a method to attain max-level cap space in 2027, but they will not be able to provide two max players the opportunity to unite in Los Angeles without subsequent moves.
If Garland reverts to the caliber of play he displayed last season, this transaction could be a massive victory for the Clippers. They are exchanging a 36-year-old seeking a new contract for a player who is more than a decade younger. My primary apprehension remains that Garland’s toe complications might prove more difficult to resolve than a temporary jaw injury. Given his slight build, any reduction in Garland’s lateral quickness would be difficult to mitigate. Consider the upcoming Clippers medical review one of the highest-stakes physicals in modern NBA history.
