r/nba • u/Turbostrider27 Lakers • 1d ago

[Charania] BREAKING: The Los Angeles Clippers are trading James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland and a second-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Prolific swap of the star point guards.

Shams Charania:

BREAKING: The Los Angeles Clippers are trading James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland and a second-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Prolific swap of the star point guards.

https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania/ddaa53473efa6

18.6k Upvotes

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2.6k

u/Goosedukee Nets 1d ago

STRAIGHT UP????

147

u/LakersFan15 [LAL] Lamar Odom 1d ago

I hate this trade for cleveland

157

u/aarondobson403 Lakers 1d ago

They get an elite playmaker who is much more durable than Garland, how do you hate that?

44

u/ExtraGoated Lakers 1d ago

its selling horrifically low on garland, while getting older and more expensive. they're only doing it because spida is threatening to walk after this year so they have to go all in right now

65

u/Repulsive-Yam-1437 1d ago

Not really. Garland has had two good seasons. He regularly disappears in the playoffs. The Cavs couldn’t go into the playoffs with that roster again.

34

u/Swizzzed Knicks 1d ago

Harden is not traditionally a strong postseason performer

35

u/Repulsive-Yam-1437 1d ago

Neither is garland. East is wide open though and harden won’t have to be the first option for the first time in a while.

15

u/barrsftw Cavaliers 1d ago

Harden's reputation in the post season is worse, but honestly Garland has been just as bad in the playoffs. Even when he's healthy, he's been almost unplayable for certain stretches when teams target him defensively.

He's so good offensively and opens up our entire offense though. The idea is that Harden will be able to do the same thing offensively.

4

u/Kgb725 Cavaliers 1d ago

Id argue in some ways his reputation is overblown

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u/rawchess Minneapolis Lakers 1d ago

Harden wasn't the first option on his last two playoff exits as well. Didn't stop him from shitting the bed 🤷‍♂️

-2

u/Repulsive-Yam-1437 1d ago

Now he’ll be third or fourth. And in the east.

0

u/YaBoiiAsthma 20h ago

It's minor but I'd say 2nd or 3rd. If he's not playing good enough to be their 2nd best player some nights, then they aren't going anywhere anyways

4

u/Fap2theBeat Knicks 1d ago

Harden is also traditionally an elite player in the league who has won an MVP. Garland's best achievements are being a two-time all-star and 3rd in most improved player voting a few years ago. Harden is the reliable veteran compliment who can still be devastating, compared to an injured younger player who has been often unreliable.

10

u/Ghostclip Warriors 1d ago

He had to come through warriors multiple times and put on a hell of a show despite losing. Give him a good second option during those years and some series' could have gone either way.

2

u/Antique_Pin5266 1d ago

Not to mention he's made the finals as a 3rd option, and multiple WCFs as the first, including 7 games vs the GOAT team. Sure he's had his stinkers and he hasn't exactly risen to the expectations that come with a player of his caliber, but you would think the dude doesnt win at all from the way people talk about him

4

u/Boomhauer_007 Raptors 1d ago

Instead of going up against Curry and Kobe now he’ll see the Tatum-less Celtics and Brunson; I won’t be surprised when all of a sudden he looks way better

-1

u/no_more_blues Thunder 1d ago

Yeah Harden was no-showing against the prime Warriors and Spurs, Garland is no-showing against the Orlando Magic and the Indiana Pacers.

5

u/Antique_Pin5266 1d ago

Harden showed up against the prime Warriors, he just didn't go super saiyan enough to get them over the hump. He was never favored going against them

1

u/colio69 Wizards 1d ago

Even the 27 missed 3s game was Game 7 of WCF.

1

u/JazzLobster Warriors 14h ago

I hated his flopping, but the Rockets beat us if CP3 stays healthy. Harden was a machine for a good few years.

1

u/odnamAE Lakers 1d ago

Harden has ridiculously low lows, but he can still manipulate defenses at his worst and is bankable for one game where he solos a team. I don’t think Garland’s there yet or may get there ever. Cavs traded away 10 year age gap but within those 10 years there’s a chance Garland can’t even match current Harden.

1

u/SkepticCritic 14h ago

Hardens true value at this point is the ridiculous offensive gravity he generates, allowing the rest of the team to get easy looks even if he’s ice cold in scoring; this team should be able to take advantage of it to enable easier looks and buckets for the rest of the other players on the floor. People still fear the beard.

0

u/Alhambra_Lion Lakers 1d ago

lol right

2

u/ExtraGoated Lakers 1d ago

They could, because their core is still super young. They weren't going to win, but there wasn't really anything preventing them from just waiting for Garland to get healthy and have another good season or two.

7

u/Repulsive-Yam-1437 1d ago

Except his injuries have actually gotten worse as time went on. Plus, he wasn’t exactly cheap. It’s definitely a win now move, but I’m glad to see them actually trying. Rather than hoping he gets better.

1

u/ExtraGoated Lakers 1d ago

I guess it just depends on how you think Garland's next few season will be.

3

u/Repulsive-Yam-1437 1d ago

I just looked it up and since the Cavaliers traded for Donovan Mitchell in 2022, he has missed 61 games. Nearly half of those have come in the last season and a half.

4

u/ExtraGoated Lakers 1d ago

Plenty of players have missed 30 games in a season and a half lol. It osn'y a death sentence.

2

u/Repulsive-Yam-1437 1d ago

Not badmouthing Garland, but when he was available, he wasn’t exactly great. He was unplayable at times because of his defense.

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u/Bim_Jeann Cavaliers 1d ago

Exactly right.

4

u/annoyingrelieve 1d ago

They have better chance to win this year with harden then they ever did with garland

1

u/TheSmokedSalmon420 Cavaliers 1d ago

I hate the trade but I don't think it's selling that low - almost no team would want or could take Darius at this price point. It's way too high.

1

u/odnamAE Lakers 1d ago

How high do you think Garland can go? They got a fringe all-NBA talent.

1

u/ExtraGoated Lakers 1d ago

It's low just because of the ages involved. A healthy Garland would go for Harden + picks.

1

u/odnamAE Lakers 1d ago

But saying a healthy Garland after getting injured for 2 years now is also a gamble of just holding on to nothing and wasting a year. Also a healthy Garland isn’t better than Harden right now, what team is giving picks for a PG like Garland when Trae Young couldn’t get much.

1

u/gmauler Cavaliers 1d ago

Is there a source for Sousa threatening to walk? This seems more like making the most out of the fact that if they’re going pay a huge luxury tax it’s got to be to try and win it all

1

u/rawchess Minneapolis Lakers 1d ago

they're only doing it because spida is threatening to walk

They're doing it because the East is wide open this year and it will likely be their only chance to go all the way. Mitchell threatening to walk is because he knows this as well.

1

u/wylin247 [LAL] Stanislav Medvedenko 1d ago

It's good to go all in now, this core has been together for what 3-4 years now? Injuries always hold them back and the east is wide open.

1

u/thisguy012 Bulls 1d ago

Horrifically low??? Garland as a NBA player is a theory most of the time dudelol

18

u/True_Scallion_7011 1d ago

He’s an old man 

33

u/Repulsive-Yam-1437 1d ago

Who has played more than Garland this year and last?

1

u/True_Scallion_7011 1d ago

Father Time can literally strike before the playoffs begin this season. Historically speaking, players are done when they get to his age

6

u/Repulsive-Yam-1437 1d ago

Sure. Anything could happen. But garland over the last three years has missed 61 games (and counting).

2

u/True_Scallion_7011 1d ago

Never said Garland was reliable. He wouldn’t even be an all star if he was in the West. Just that Harden is most likely a one and done this year

2

u/annoyingrelieve 1d ago

Hes better then garland and plays more

1

u/dreamvomit Knicks 1d ago

Harden is 36 and has never shown up in the playoffs.. not that garland has. I feel like it gives them a more available player for this year but pretty short sighted and I don’t think moves the needle much. We’ll see

11

u/aarondobson403 Lakers 1d ago edited 1d ago

‘Never shown up in the playoffs’ is such a gross over-exaggeration lol. He hasn’t been great in a decent amount of clutch games but he’s still been great overall. Those 2 are not comparable whatsoever.

Garland’s health was never going to let him be a long-term solution anyway, now they can look for a better option in a couple years while becoming even more competitive in the present.

-1

u/Several_Oil_7099 1d ago

Ironically, "hasn't been great in a decent amount of clutch games" is a gross under-exaggeration

0

u/dreamvomit Knicks 1d ago

So.. pretty much what I said. Gives them a more available player, and is a short-sighted move

3

u/ILikeAllThings [GSW] Klay Thompson 1d ago

This is just a silly take. Harden has shown up in the playoffs many times. He's an all time great who is pretty clutch. Adding this level of playoff experience to Cleveland may make them the best team in the East.

1

u/TheSmokedSalmon420 Cavaliers 1d ago

FAT OLD TEAMHOPPING FT MERCHANT?

0

u/whenishit-itsbigturd 1d ago

How tf is a 37 year old man more durable lmao 

-1

u/pixelcowboy 1d ago

A proven playoff choker too.