Darius Garland-James Harden Trade Already Looks Like a Home Run for Clippers

When the Los Angeles Clippers sent James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Darius Garland, it caught the NBA landscape by surprise. Harden seemed content staying and retiring in LA, and all the signs were pointing to the Clippers riding the Harden-Leonard era until its natural conclusion. Star players on teams with playoff aspirations rarely get traded for one another, making the Garland-Harden swap a rare transaction.

Now that the dust has settled from the trade, and both players have spent a month and a half with their new teams, it's safe to claim that the Clippers have no regrets. That doesn't necessarily mean that the Cavs lost the trade, but it's undeniable that the Clippers have won it.

Garland got off to a slow start with the Clippers as he was still recovering from his toe injury when he arrived in LA. He ended up missing his first ten games as a Clipper. Since he made his team debut against the Warriors on March 2nd, however, he has been showcasing everything that makes him special. He has been increasing his minutes and offensive load over the last couple of weeks while shooting the lights out from all over the court.

Oh my goodness, Darius Garland 😭😭😭

Those moves were NASTY!!!!! pic.twitter.com/uxEjOXfvEI
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) March 24, 2026

Clippers' Darius Garland Trade Will Only Look Better With Time

The 26-year-old point guard is shooting over 50% from three on 7.5 attempts per game. A lot of these shots are self-created and off-the-dribble. Garland likes to hunt big men on switches. Once he has a slower-footed defender in front of him, he can either get to the rim or the floater range or go to his stepback for a three. Thanks to his handles and passing ability, he can find the open shooter or the roll man if the defense sends help.

Garland is currently in the midst of the most efficient stretch of his career. He is averaging a usage rate of over 30% and True Shooting of over 62% for the first time in his career. This puts him in a rarefied territory among the most elite offensive players in the league. This helps unlock the rest of the Clippers offense. It allows Kawhi Leonard and others to attack from more advantageous positions and with more space.

Therefore, it's not a coincidence that the Clippers have a +16.9 net rating with Garland on the court. That 14.3 on/off swing is among the best in the league, per Cleaning the Glass. This will almost certainly not last, but the impact Garland has had on this team is undeniable.

This isn't to say that Garland is better than Harden or that the Clippers are a better team with Garland than they were with Harden. It could be true that Harden gives the Cavaliers a better chance to win a title this season than Garland would have.

What Harden is doing in Cleveland is beside the point. He is ten years older than Garland and only has a few more seasons left in him at best as a near All-Star caliber player. Plus, he has a player option for next season worth $42.3 million. He will need a contract extension on top of that amount. The Clippers were able to get a player at least as good as Harden but ten years younger without giving up any additional assets.

The only concern about the trade was the fact that Garland was dealing with a toe injury, and that the Clippers may have hurt their postseason chances for this year. That hasn't been the case at all. The Clippers are playing as well, if not better, than they were before the trade deadline, and are on their way to make the postseason. Considering that this trade will only look better in time, thanks to the age difference, it's hard to argue that the Clippers aren't big winners.