Less than 24 hours after it was first reported the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers were linked to a trade swapping Darius Garland for James Harden, the move happened, in what has been the biggest deal ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline so far.
While Cleveland had made a previous move a few days ago to shake up their roster, the massive swap proves the Cavaliers weren’t happy with how their lineup had been performing, and wanted to change things up to better become title contenders.
While from the side of Harden and the Clippers, it’s uncertain who was behind the move, from the side of Cleveland, a new report signals Donovan Mitchell was pressuring the franchise to make a change.
According to Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, Mitchell applied pressure on the Cavaliers to make a trade deadline move to bolster their title hopes.
“Three league sources said Donovan Mitchell…conveyed, either personally or through his representatives, that he did not think the organization should stand pat for the rest of this season and wait for potential moves in the summer,” the two wrote. “A high-ranking Cavs official refuted that Mitchell applied such pressure.”
Well, that pressure seemed to work, and while it did require Cleveland to cut ties with their former point guard, they now have a future Hall of Famer and 11-time All-Star in Harden to pair with their current franchise star in Mitchell.
Cavaliers Trade Darius Garland For James Harden
Per a recent report, the Cavaliers were nervous that Mitchell would ask out after this summer if the team had another early playoff exit.
He has one guaranteed season left on the three-year, $150 million contract he signed with the team, and there were rumblings that if he couldn’t get past the second round for the first time in his career, the star guard would look for a future elsewhere.
The team had already moved DeAndre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings for Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis over the weekend, but after their relatively poor start to the season compared to the heights of their preseason expectations, they believed a big change-up was necessary.
According to The Athletic, while it’s unclear if Mitchell pressured the franchise to move Garland, he specifically wanted them to add Harden.
“Two league sources also said Mitchell specifically wanted Harden, who is 6-foot-5, durable and comfortable as a pass-first point guard.”
Garland has dealt with numerous injuries throughout his career, and while a strong player in his own right, Cleveland has now chosen availability in the form of Harden over potential in the form of Garland. The contracts between the two match up nearly perfectly, so on paper, this deal wasn’t a difficult move to make.
Yet still, according to Vardon and Lloyd, regardless of injuries, the front office believed their core of Garland, Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen wasn’t getting the job done this season, and opted for the trade to add Harden.
“The Cavs had to stop blaming injuries for their problems, and they weren’t good enough as constructed to contend for a championship,” they wrote. “Some on the call pushed further, demanding changes to save the season.”
What’s Next For Cleveland, More Trade Rumors?
In this biggest deal of the trade deadline so far, the Cavaliers now add Harden’s 25.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 8.1 assists in 44 games in place of Garland’s 18 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 6.9 assists in only 26 games.
They add a proven scorer and playmaker with a lot less risky history of injuries to replace their consistently questionable younger guard, but is that all they’ll do?
According to recent reports, Cleveland is also making a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo. While they weren’t one of the four teams originally named by Shams Charania as in the hunt for the Milwaukee Bucks’ superstar, per Sam Amick of The Athletic, there was ‘league-wide chatter‘ about them pursuing the Greek Freak.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst added that the team had talked about a deal for Antetokounmpo, but the deal happening was unlikely. Cleveland would likely have to package Mobley and many other assets to add the two-time MVP, but them making another blockbuster move this deadline is likely out of reach.
Additionally, the Cavaliers have been linked to a LeBron James return this summer. Dave McMemamin reported the team is open to a return over the offseason, and there were brief rumblings about the possibility of Cleveland adding Harden, Antetokounmpo, and James by next season.
That all remains unlikely, considering their cap restrictions with this current roster. However, Allen has been another player mentioned in trade rumors, and with how quickly the Harden for Garland swap happened, nothing can be ruled out.
What is clear is that Cleveland was nervous about losing Mitchell this summer, and made their most recent trade accordingly, hoping that it assures him that they are trying to win now.
After a slow start to the season, the Cavaliers are 30-21 and fifth in the East. It remains to be seen how their new star will fit in their current roster, but the move shows they are serious about a title run with their core, barring Garland, of course.
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