As the Cleveland Cavaliers neared the in-season trade deadline, some speculation arose among fans about who could be potentially traded away.
Many, though, were not ready to see Darius Garland, one of the “Core Four,” leave the only team he has ever been with for the past seven years.
The first move the Cleveland team made was trading De’Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for guards Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis. Hunter struggled with Cleveland this season, being extremely unreliable. Schroder and Ellis, however, have made immediate impacts with the Cavs as key bench players who can carry their weight. In Cleveland’s strong 112-84 victory against the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 19, they put up 12 and seven points respectively, just as one example.
Then, in a three-team trade deal, Lonzo Ball was traded to the Utah Jazz, with thoughts that he would sign as a free agent. Ball struggled with the team’s chemistry, and was playing increasingly fewer minutes, if he played at all.
Even after those trades, Cleveland’s management had bigger ideas. A few days later, Darius Garland was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for veteran James Harden.
As a dedicated Cavs and NBA fan, I did not see this trade coming. Because of Max Strus’ injuries, I figured he would be the first of last year’s main starters for the Cavs to go. Trading for Harden was a surprise to me. I always viewed him as a ball-hog type of player, and with our team dynamics, I worried he could disrupt the culture.
However, from the perspective of the Cavaliers management, it is a “win now” move that could benefit Cleveland in the end. Garland sat out close to 20 games as of mid-January because of the injury and frequent reaggravation of his toe, making it difficult for the team to have the same spark that the league came to know and love last year. Because of that and other team injuries, the “Core Four” barely got to share the floor in the 2025-26 season.
Although Harden is 36, he has well over a decade of experience in the NBA and consistently is a high scorer in the league. That was reflected in his impressive first performance as a Cavalier: without as much as an hour with the team beforehand, Harden played over 32 minutes as a starter, scoring 23 points and earning eight assists.
After the game, Harden was asked about the trade and where he sees himself on the team, and I was impressed by his answer. He said that his main focus is to be a teammate that can set up plays for his fellow Cavaliers around him and listen to what he can do for them. He knows that with the talent present on this Cavs team, it does not need to be a Harden show, and he is willing to do whatever it takes to set the entire team up for a chance to win it all.
With the Cavs having the most expensive roster in the NBA going into the season, the team already had a lot of added attention, especially after their early success last year. However, there is another piece to that: the growth of Jaylon Tyson.
Tyson has had an impeccable sophomore season to say the least. Just recently, he got to make an appearance in the 2026 NBA Rising Stars Challenge during the All-Star break and, as of February 20th, is averaging 13.9 points per game. This is a huge increase from his average of just 3.6 points per game in the 2024-25 season.
Because of the strength, consistency, and personal achievements that he has been able to prove in such a short time, I firmly believe that played a role in Garland’s departure. It made the team feel more at ease hoping that Tyson could pick up any lost slack.
Overall, I worry about the Garland-Harden trade. While I do believe it could set up Cleveland for a successful playoff run, it does not set the Cavs up well for the future. Harden may not have many more seasons left, especially as a starter, while Garland, still 26 years old, could still have another decade in the NBA.
While Garland was unreliable this year with his injury, in the games he did play, he could bring double-digit points to the Cavs’ board, with or without star Donovan Mitchell on the court or even in the game.
It also goes without saying that he was a fun personality to have in the locker room, as seen through numerous post-game interviews with his teammates. It is always scary to think about the chance of trading away the vibes.
It is only a matter of time before we can see how the addition of Harden will prepare them for post-season. On Feb. 19, however, he was a wonderful team player, scoring 16 points and setting his teammates up for their own buckets through nine assists.
Cleveland has some tough games ahead, so they will need all the team chemistry they can muster.
