Having just been traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Darius Garland is now a member of the Los Angeles Clippers. During what has been an incredible 2026 trade deadline, he was swapped for James Harden.
Superstars both young and old have been on the move, the unpredictability at an all-time high. Of course, Cleveland is now a very-different team. They swapped three players and brought in three over the course of three different moves made.
The teams actually coincidentally met last night, a 33-point victory for the visiting Cavaliers. They showed that the recent hot streak was no no fluke, and that James Harden has a lot to be excited about.
Rumors had been swirling about the relationship between Garland and his backcourt mate Donovan Mitchell. The 7X all-Star set the record straight, as we’ll elude more to in the next section.
Donovan Mitchell Sets Record Straight on Garland Thoughts
Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell won a lot of basketball games together. The dynamic duo did some big things in Cleveland, and many fans will remember their time fondly.
The full reaction of Mitchell can be found in a video here (also below). It was clear from the second they started playing together, to their final moments as teammates, that the two of them are close.
To sum up the gist of it, Mitchell had this say about his relationship with DG:
…”There’s still that bond. There always will be. Even with De’Andre [Hunter], Caris [LeVert], Georges [Niang], Ty [Jerome].
“Not many guys get traded and then want to sit there and watch their old team play. It speaks to D.G. It speaks to where he is with us and where we are with him. He will be at my wedding. We’re brothers first. Then all of this is second. It’s bigger than basketball. With me and him, it’s always love. We fell short of our goal. But it’s always going to be love.”
This is what Mitchell said to Peter Dewey for Cleveland.com. It’s not only Garland that Mitchell is still close with, but all of the other guys traded over the past two years, as well. A tight-knit Cavs team is a successful one, and it’s clear there is all love between these guys.
For any of the Cleveland fans believing there to be bad blood between the two, this should help them have a better look at the picture.
Donovan Mitchell Ready for James Harden Pairing
Speaking to Tony Jones of The Athletic, Donovan Mitchell let it be known how he feels about the addition of James Harden, and how the two will be able to play off of one another.
…”But, we’re excited. I’m excited about what he can do for me as a player, and I’m excited about what he can do for our team as a whole. We want the same thing. We both want a championship. So, at the end of the day, we’re shooting for the same goals, and we have to go about trying to win at a high level.”
Neither of these guys has ever won an NBA title. Mitchell has never made it out of the conference finals, while Harden hasn’t been there since the 2018-19 season. His last berth in the NBA Finals came in 2011 with the Thunder.
Two of the most talented guards in the league, are now teammates in Cleveland. We’ll see if they can carry out the vision, together.
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