"Swapping the 26-year-old Garland for the 36-year-old Harden might cost the Cavaliers in future seasons, but at the moment, Harden is undoubtedly better and healthier than the former Cavs point guard, and he should help reduce the offensive burden on Donovan Mitchell, who's posting his highest usage rate since he was in Utah. Harden's weaknesses also line up with Garland's: He's not the most engaged defender, but he's still bigger than Garland, and he can't be counted on in the playoffs,"
"Cleveland is finally on a hot streak, with a 9-2 record since a 22-19 start, and the preseason Eastern Conference favorite improved at the deadline. Out of 11 players with at least 500 minutes for the Cavaliers this season, the three worst net ratings belonged to Darius Garland (minus-3.0), De'Andre Hunter (minus-0.9) and Lonzo Ball (plus-1.3). And now all three are gone, replaced by James Harden, Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder."
Giannis Antetokounmpo remained with his team at the 2025-26 trade deadline. The Dallas Mavericks sent Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards and Golden State traded Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis. James Harden moved from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who also added Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder while moving on from Darius Garland, De'Andre Hunter and Lonzo Ball. Harden currently offers better health and offensive production than Garland and should ease Donovan Mitchell's usage. Keon Ellis strengthens Cleveland's backcourt defense, while Dennis Schroder presents an unpredictable scoring option. Harden's defensive limitations and uncertain playoff reliability mirror Garland's weaknesses and could affect Cleveland's long-term outlook despite short-term gains.
Read at ESPN.com
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