The landscape of the NBA is changing during Trade Deadline Week, 2026. Earlier in the day the Memphis Grizzlies traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz. Now the Los Angeles Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers
have agreed to swap point guards as 36-year-old superstar James Harden heads to Ohio for 26-year-old Darius Garland and a second-round pick. Shams Charania of ESPN shared the news on X.
Harden is now in his 17th NBA season, averaging 25.4 points, 8.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds in 35.4 minutes per game over 44 appearances with the Clippers. He has also played for the Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Garland has played all of his seven NBA seasons with the Cavaliers. He’s averaging 18 points and 6.9 assists in 30.5 minutes per game, appearing 26 times this year.
The Clippers, at 23-26, are clinging to relevance in the race for the Western Conference bracket in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. Many of their key player carry short-term contracts. They are likely to start rebuilding in the near future.
The Cavaliers, on the other hand, are trying to recapture the form that saw them lead the Eastern Conference last season, amassing 64 wins. They currently stand at 30-21, tied for fourth in the conference standings, just 2 games out of second place and 7.5 out of first.
