Clippers Finalize Blockbuster James Harden-Darius Garland Trade

The Los Angeles Clippers send Harden to Cleveland two days before the trade deadline.

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Clippers fans received the shocking report in the middle of Monday night's game against the Sixers that James Harden had requested a trade and was working with the organization to find a new home. Less than 24 hours after the seemingly out-of-nowhere news, Harden has been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Darius Garland and a second-round pick, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

Clippers Trade James Harden to the Cavaliers in Deadline Move

Once it was revealed that Harden wanted out of LA, the Cavs quickly emerged as a favorite to land the 36-year-old superstar. Even though there were teams rumored to have some interest, a Darius Garland-centered package from Cleveland seemed like the best the Clippers could do with limited time before the deadline.

Once Clippers fans get over the shock of the trade, it's not difficult to see that this is an excellent return in the circumstances. Garland is in the midst of a down season, but we are less than a year removed from his career campaign when he averaged 20.6 points and 6.7 assists per game on a career-high 60% True Shooting. He helped lead the Cavs to the best offensive rating in the league and a dominant 64-18 record. He earned the second All-Star nod of his career before losing to the Indiana Pacers in the second round.

Garland underwent toe surgery in the offseason and missed significant time to start the season. He has been dealing with another toe injury and remains sidelined. This presented a buy-low opportunity for the Clippers, who were the oldest team in the league by a wide margin before this trade. LA was able to get a point guard ten years younger than Harden without giving up any more draft capital.

Harden is clearly having an excellent season, and one can argue that in the short-term, going from Harden to Garland is a downgrade. For the next five years, however, having a two-time All-Star who just turned 26 is clearly better than having Harden.

Garland and Harden have nearly identical salaries for this season. Garland has two more seasons left on his contract that pays him a total of $87 million. Even if Garland is never able to get back to his All-Star form, that should still be a tradeable contract. If the Clippers decide to rebuild over the next few years, they will have the flexibility to build around Garland or trade him again to fully bottom out.

Losing Harden in this manner certainly hurts, but this could be a win in the long run for the Clippers.