Cavs, Clippers agree to trade of James Harden, Darius Garland

It’s official. And it’s big.

The Cavaliers have agreed to acquire James Harden from the Clippers in exchange for Darius Garland, plus a Cleveland second-round pick, as first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The pick is in the next draft, sources told Hoops Wire.

“Harden and the Clippers worked through his exit over the last few days,” Charania wrote, “resulting in a beneficial outcome for the sides: a win-now opportunity for Harden playing at a high level at 36 and a recent two-time All-Star in Garland at 26 for the Clippers present and future.”

For Cleveland, this is the swing.

The Cavs have spent weeks probing the top of the market, checking in on Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, and ultimately circling back to Harden as the cleanest path to a true ceiling-raiser.

They get exactly that. One of the NBA’s 75 greatest players, still productive, still commanding attention, and now paired with Donovan Mitchell in what becomes one of the league’s most potent backcourts.

“It aligns two high-powered, multi-faceted engines in Harden and Mitchell,” Charania noted, and that alignment is the point. The Cavs are no longer balancing timelines. They are pushing forward.

For the Clippers, the deal lands a younger, long-term lead guard in Garland, someone they have quietly admired for years. At 26, Garland gives Los Angeles flexibility, stability, and a clearer path beyond the current window.

This was not a panic move. It was calculated. And it reshapes both franchises.

This marks the Cavs’ second trade of the week, as they sent De’Andre Hunter to the Kings for Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis in a three-team deal with the Bulls on Sunday.

The trade deadline is Thursday at 3 p.m. EST.