The Cavaliers: Was The Harden Trade Worth It?

Feb 20, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) drives against Charlotte Hornets forward Tidjane Salaun (31) during the second half at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Cavaliers: Was The Harden Trade Worth It?

Originally posted on Stadium Rant | By David Desa | Last updated Jun 10, 2026 8:28 AM ET

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The Cleveland Cavaliers went through a big shake-up at the trade deadline when they gave up on Darius Garland to acquire James Harden. It was a win-now type of move that people seemed to question, asking why they even made this deal in the first place. Harden is a great player, but a ten year age gap separates the two, and that’s a big leap in years, especially in the NBA. Now that Cleveland’s season is over, we can look back to see if this trade was actually worth it.

The Cavaliers’ Season As A Whole

The season didn’t end the way the Cavaliers would have liked, but that doesn’t mean it was a failure. Cleveland had not gotten to the Conference Finals since 2018, and a change had to be made. That shakeup was packaging Garland, who they had seen grow into an all-star guard right before their eyes, to the Los Angeles Clippers for Harden. The Cavaliers finally got over that hump and made it back to the Conference Finals. This seemed great until they ran into the New York Knicks.

Cleveland was swept by the Knicks after some poor performances from the team and Harden specifically. He shot an abysmal 5 for 28 from behind the arc throughout the series, including an awful close-out game, which we have seen from him his whole career. Garland still has two years left on his contract, whereas Harden currently has a player option, which he will decide on this offseason. He might end up being a one-year rental, which would make this trade a complete disaster for the Cavaliers. Depending on whether Harden stays with Cleveland, they’re going to look back on this deal with regret, and who knows what Garland could become with the Clippers?

End Of My Cleveland Cavaliers Rant

The Cavaliers probably won’t make any big-time moves in this offseason, but the topic of discussion will be the Harden trade. Garland did have his fair share of injuries, but trading for an aged star might not have been the direction this team should have gone. Maybe the deal was made in an effort to try to convince their superstar, Donovan Mitchell, to stay. Cleveland sought to prove to him they are willing to make the necessary moves to win. The trade might not have been too bad at the moment, but that could change real quick with Harden’s free agent decision.

This article first appeared on Stadium Rant and was syndicated with permission.

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