Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell says he and James Harden want same thing: ‘A championship’

Only one former MVP changed teams at this trade deadline. And only one landed somewhere that actually plans on winning right now.

That would be James Harden, and that would be the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Plenty of recognizable names moved this week. Jaren Jackson Jr., Anthony Davis, Ivica Zubac. All three ended up on teams looking more toward next season than this one.

The Cavs view Harden differently. They believe he gives them a real shot now.

That belief has been building. According to Andscape’s Marc J. Spears, the Cavs first discussed a Harden trade roughly six weeks ago.

Around the same time, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reports the Clippers began fielding calls on Harden as well as Kawhi Leonard and Zubac after Los Angeles hit a rough patch in December.

Harden’s camp was proactive. They explored the market and gauged interest. A reunion with Houston was floated, especially with Fred VanVleet sidelined, but the Rockets never engaged. Cleveland did.

From the Cavs’ perspective, Harden checked several boxes. He could lessen the offensive burden on Donovan Mitchell. He could elevate Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. And he could bring a level of experience the roster simply did not have.

Darius Garland had filled part of that role in recent years, but injuries, particularly ongoing toe issues, limited his availability.

Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman pushed back hard on any suggestion that durability frustrations drove the move, calling that narrative “BS.” Still, the Cavs are firmly in win-now mode, and availability matters.

The final push came Tuesday night. According to Tony Jones of The Athletic and Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, Harden and Mitchell spoke at length on the phone.

By the end of that conversation, both sides believed in the partnership.

“We both know that it’s going to be an adjustment,” Mitchell said. “But we’re excited. I’m excited about what he can do for me as a player, and what he can do for our team as a whole. We want the same thing. We both want a championship.”

Mitchell acknowledged he will need to play more off the ball at times. He also made it clear that’s not new territory.

“Our ceiling is higher,” he told Fedor. “We weren’t able to get it done for the past three years and now the goal is to try to get it done. This is the time.”

Head coach Kenny Atkinson is not worried about fit.

“Great players fit together,” Atkinson said. “When you have high-IQ players, it makes it a heck of a lot easier.”

Basically, the Cavs did not make this move to experiment. They made it to contend.

DRIBBLES | Cavs didn’t blink at trade deadline, and they’re better for it