James Harden is averaging 25.4 points and 8.1 assists per game through 44 games this season.
The LA Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly making a high-stakes guard swap.
James Harden is headed to the Cavs, and the Clippers have agreed to send the 11-time All-Star back to the Eastern Conference during his highest scoring season in six years, according to multiple reports.
LA receives:
- Darius Garland
- Future 2nd round pick
Cleveland will receive:
ESPN was the first to report that the deal had been finalized.
BREAKING: The Los Angeles Clippers told ESPN they will trade James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland and a second-round pick. Rich replacement for star point guard. pic.twitter.com/IHhahabJnX
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 4, 2026
The Cavaliers will reportedly give up point guard Darius Garland and a second-round pick, but the deal is not officially completed. The approval could be received by Wednesday, when the Cavaliers and Clippers play in Inglewood, California.
“He means a lot to our team, and we’ve seen that for the last three years,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said Monday night when news of such an impending move began to emerge. “Who wouldn’t want to get James Harden?”
Harden is averaging 25.4 points this season, his highest since averaging 34.3 points in 2019-20.
He was instrumental in helping the Clippers get back into the playoffs, or at least play-in contention, after a dismal 6-21 start.
“He means a lot to our team, and we’ve seen that for the last three years,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said Monday night when news of such an impending move began to emerge. “Who wouldn’t want to get James Harden?”
Cleveland will be Harden’s sixth team. He played for Oklahoma City, Houston, Brooklyn, Philadelphia and, starting in 2023, the Clippers.
For the Cavaliers, pairing the 36-year-old Harden with another star guard, Donovan Mitchell, appears to be a short-term move. For the Clippers, Garland, a 26-year-old two-time All-Star, is averaging 18 points and 6.9 assists this season, making it a move with an eye on the future.
Harden opted out of the final year of his contract with the Clippers last summer and signed a new contract worth $81.5 million for this season and the 2026-27 season. Next year is up to him, which basically means he was on a one-year deal anyway.
He earned the contract after averaging 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 8.7 assists and returning to the All-NBA team for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.