Cavs Insider

Grading James Harden's Debut Performance With Cleveland Cavaliers

James Harden showed up and immediately made his impact felt in his Cleveland Cavaliers debut.
Steve Kubitza|
Feb 7, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) warms up before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images
Feb 7, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) warms up before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

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Cleveland Cavaliers

The trade of Darius Garland for James Harden was a polarizing one among Cleveland Cavaliers fans. Yet Saturday night's win over the Sacramento Kings made one thing clear: Harden remains a star player in the NBA.

The final line from the box score reads 23 points, 8 assists, and a 5-8 mark from three-point range. He did finish with a plus-minus of -14, but his play in the fourth quarter made up for early mistakes.

So what grade does Harden earn for his impressive debut?

James Harden earns an A- in Cavaliers debut

Harden has gained a reputation throughout his career of being a ball-dominant player. While that is true, he has proven to be adaptable and is also known as an elite facilitator. One of his main beneficiaries should be Jarrett Allen, who had 29 points and 10 rebounds, finishing 11-12 from the field. Harden draws so much attention, leaving Allen open for easy lobs.

The fourth quarter is where Harden showed Cavaliers fans his true value. He started to heat up midway through the fourth and made his impact felt with back-to-back threes to give the Cavs a 122-121 lead with 2:39 remaining in the game.

The Kings were able to tie the game at 126-126 with under a minute remaining. Harden then sealed the win with four made free throws in the final 22 seconds of the game.

The Kings are one of the worst teams in the NBA this season. So while Harden looked great, fans will be waiting to see how he and Donovan Mitchell perform against tougher competition. Fans will also want to see how the team operates with Evan Mobley in the mix.

The Cavs have several new pieces to integrate before the postseason begins in just over two months time. If first impressions are everything, Harden should already have fans excited considering he just showed up. The same is true for the early results from Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis.

Mitchell was the ultimate hero in the win over the Kings, finishing with 35 points in 35 minutes.

The addition of Harden doesn't change the fact this is ultimately Mitchell's team. Yet even Mitchell could admit having Harden alongside him will serve as a major upgrade over an injured Garland. Whether the move turns out to be an overwhelming success or a serious regret remains to be seen over time.

Saturday night was a fantastic Cavaliers debut for Harden. A better test comes Monday night against the Denver Nuggets in the altitude.

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Steve Kubitza
STEVE KUBITZA

Steve is a lifelong Cleveland sports fan who proudly wears his Guardians, Browns, and Cavs gear in his current home of Santa Barbara. He has covered Cleveland sports online for the past decade and is still waiting for the Browns to draft a QB who signs a second contract in town.

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