LA completes trade of James Harden for Darius Garland to the Cavs

Just a few days before NBA trade deadline is ready to go, the LA Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers have completed a trade agreement that will send a guard James Harden to the Cavs and the guard Darius Garland To the Clippers, league sources tell ClutchPoints. As part of the trade, the Cavs are also sending a 2026 second-round pick to the Clippers, sources said.

The two sides have been in trade talks for several days now, and negotiations advanced to an advanced stage Monday night during the Clippers’ home game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Talks between the two teams continued Tuesday night, a day before they face off at the Intuit Dome.

James Harden and the LA Clippers have been in active trade talks for several weeks, league sources told ClutchPoints, and the Clippers are working with Harden on potential trade destinations for the 36-year-old guard. The team hasn’t been shopping Harden, especially with a recent streak of 17 wins in its last 22 games, the best such record in the league since Dec. 20.

Harden is currently under a two-year, $81.5 million contract signed last summer, with a player option and $13.3 million partially guaranteed for the 2026-27 season.

The Clippers have long prioritized their cap space in the summer of 2027 and have been reluctant to give players contracts beyond the 2026-27 season. That’s the biggest reason both Paul George and Norman Powell are no longer on the roster.

Harden, who turned 37 in August, had hoped to secure a two-year, fully guaranteed $80 million deal after this season, sources said, but the Clippers remained steadfast in their unwillingness to move beyond 2027. Harden also had veto power over any trade because his contract is technically for one season and 15 percent.

Now in his 17th NBA season, James Harden is averaging 25.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 41.9 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from three. Harden is currently having his best season since 2019-20, his final year with the Houston Rockets.

On the Cleveland Cavaliers front, the franchise has been eyeing a potential upgrade at the point guard position after four seasons without playoff success for Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell.

In addition, the Cavs have growing concerns about Garland’s ability to stay healthy. The two-time NBA All-Star plays well when he’s on the court, but during last season he dealt with nagging foot and toe problems that caused him to miss significant portions of the season.

The injury has been a talking point in trade talks between the Cavaliers and Clippers.

In his second All-Star season in 2024-25, Darius Garland played 75 games averaging 20.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.2 steals for the Cavs while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from three in 30.7 minutes per game.

This season, Garland has played in just 25 of the Cavs’ first 51 games, averaging 18 points, 2.4 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 0.8 steals on 45.1 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent from three in 30.5 minutes a night.

The LA Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers will meet for the second and final time this season on Wednesday night at the Intuit Dome.

Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints contributed to this report.