LOS ANGELES — Early Tuesday afternoon, on the campus of USC, Darius Garland was telling people close to him that he would probably be staying in Los Angeles, as a member of the Clippers.
He was right.
Sources tell cleveland.com the Cavs have traded Garland and a 2026 second-round pick to the Clippers for 11-time All-Star James Harden — the framework of a deal that intensified late Monday night.
In order for the deal to be completed, Harden needs to waive a vast majority of his trade kicker.
The agreed-to trade ends Garland’s tenure in Cleveland, going from fifth overall pick in 2019 to two-time All-Star. It also gives Harden what he has been coveting — a new home and chance to compete for a championship.
In 44 games this season, the typically durable Harden, a 2018 MVP and 2025 All-NBA selection, is averaging 25.4 points on 41.9% from the field, including 34.7% from 3-point range to go with 8.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds.
Garland, previously the longest tenured Cavalier and part of a nucleus that helped Cleveland return to respectability in the post-LeBron era, has battled injuries once again this season.
Following summer toe surgery, Garland missed Cleveland’s first seven games. He has been sidelined since Jan. 14 because of a sprained toe on his other foot that has limited him to individual on-court workouts.
In 26 games this season, Garland is averaging 18.0 points and 6.9 assists.
Statistically, the Cavs have been a better team with him off the floor, by nearly nine points per 100 possessions.
For the Cavs, this marks the end of the ballyhooed Core 4 — Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Garland — while chartering a new direction in their quest for a championship.
With Mitchell only having one more guaranteed year on his contract and the Cavs feeling the weight of lofty expectations and an expensive roster, the front office opted to take a massive swing.
The arrival of Harden will alleviate some of the playmaking burden on Mitchell, who has been forced into more of an on-ball creator role than at any other point of his career. It also gives Cleveland more positional size in the backcourt, something that had been problematic on the defensive end with the Mitchell-Garland pairing.
In Garland’s 792 minutes, Cleveland has a 117.7 defensive rating — essentially equivalent to the 26th-ranked Brooklyn Nets.
The 36-year-old Harden is an elite playmaker who has a reputation for raising a team’s offensive ceiling. He is also one of the league’s best and most frequent isolation scorers, giving Cleveland a way to diversity its attack.
Harden, who had veto power over any deal and a player option this offseason that includes a partial guarantee, comes to Finals-or-bust Cleveland with 173 total games of playoff experience, including an NBA Finals trip in 2011-12.
From that standpoint, he’s a better fit for Cleveland’s Mitchell-focused championship timeline.
It’s the team’s second trade ahead of Thursday’s 3 p.m. deadline — and decision-makers continue to look for other roster-related opportunities, including a new home for embattled backup Lonzo Ball and his $10 million contract that effectively serves as an expiring deal.
Over the weekend, the Cavaliers started the roster reshape by sending De’Andre Hunter to Sacramento and draft picks to Chicago in exchange for Dennis Schröder, Keon Ellis and two-way forward Emanuel Miller while waiving Luke Travers in a corresponding move.
Schröder and Ellis practiced for the first time with the Cavs at USC’s Galen Center on Tuesday. Both are expected to debut Wednesday night, when Cleveland —30-21 and winners of eight of the last 10 games —plays the Clippers at Intuit Dome Wednesday night.
