In one of the more shocking trades in recent memory, the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired James Harden in a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Clippers. Headed the other way was Darius Garland and a second-round pick, and while this move has come as a major shock, it sounds like Donovan Mitchell may have played a role in convincing the Cavs to make this trade.
It seemed like Mitchell and Garland were one of the top backcourt duos in the league, but with this deal coming to fruition in the blink of an eye, it turns out that wasn’t the case. While reports have emerged indicating that Mitchell pressured Cleveland to make this deal, a stunning development regarding his relationship with Garland has also emerged.
Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland Did Not Enjoy Playing Together
In the 2024-25 campaign, Mitchell and Garland teamed up to lead the Cavs to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. And yet, that wasn’t enough to prevent them from getting eliminated in their first-round playoff matchup against the Indiana Pacers. Expectations were high for Cleveland this season, but to this point, it hasn’t managed to come close to playing like the team it was for much of last year.
While Mitchell has remained spectacular (28.8 PPG, 5.8 APG, 4.6 RPG, 48.3 FG%), Garland has been in and out of the lineup due to a slew of injuries. When he’s played, Garland’s numbers have been solid (18 PPG, 6.9 APG, 2.4 RPG, 45.1 FG%), but he struggled to make the same sort of impact he made last season.
Throughout the year, reports have indicated that there has been some sort of internal tension brewing inside the Cavaliers’ locker room. And in the wake of this stunning trade, new rumors have emerged suggesting that neither Mitchell nor Garland enjoyed playing with each other, which could have been another big reason why Cleveland’s front office wanted to make this deal.
“Hearing that although it was fine personally between Mitchell and Garland, that neither of them enjoyed playing together,” Brian Geltzeiler of Sirius XM NBA Radio reported in a post on X. “Wondering (how) much Mitchell will enjoy playing with Harden. With that said, he has a parachute this offseason if this backcourt doesn’t work for him.”
Cavaliers Hoping Donovan Mitchell, James Harden Combination Pans Out
GettyJames Harden and Donovan Mitchell were teammates at the 2021 All-Star Game in Atlanta.
Whatever the reason may have been for this potential discord between Mitchell and Garland, the Cavs don’t have to worry about it anymore. Instead, they are now putting all their eggs into Harden’s basket, which is certainly a risk, considering how flaky he has been throughout his career in the NBA.
Of course, it’s worth noting that Harden wanted this move to Cleveland, and he has put together another strong season to this point (25.4 PPG, 8.1 APG, 4.8 RPG, 41.9 FG%). If he and Mitchell can get on the same page right out of the gate, the Cavaliers could quickly emerge as the team to beat in what appears to be a wide-open Eastern Conference.
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