LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) gives an on-court interview after the Clippers’ game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena.
The Los Angeles Clippers and 11-time NBA All-Star James Harden are reportedly looking to finalize a trade deal for Harden before Thursday’s deadline. According to a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania, Harden has requested a trade out of the Clippers.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly one of the NBA teams expressing the most amount of interest in a deal for Harden. The potential trade deal would send Harden to Cleveland and two-time All-Star guard Darius Garland to Los Angeles, according to Charania.
Harden’s contract gives him the power to reject any trade deal the Clippers include him in. He signed a two-year, $81.5 million deal with the Clippers over the summer, and the second year of the contract is a player option. Therefore, Harden is only guaranteed to be under contract for the 2025-26 season.
Harden has sat out of the Clippers’ last two games against the Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday and Monday. Coincidentally, the Clippers’ next game will be against the Cavaliers at the Intuit Dome on Wednesday night.
NBA insider Brian Windhorst further solidified the rumors about a potential trade with the Cavaliers on Tuesday, claiming that sources have reported this deal is on track to be finalized.
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“People I’m talking to there is real momentum for this. Darius Garland is getting in his head that he’s gonna be a Clipper. James Harden is getting in his head that he’s gonna be a Cav,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s NBA Today.
Windy:
“People I’m talking to there is real momentum for this. Darius Garland is getting in his head that he’s gonna be a Clipper. James Harden is getting in his head that he’s gonna be a Cav” pic.twitter.com/xISp1a7YxC
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) February 3, 2026
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Jan 30, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) in the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) gives an on-court interview after the Clippers’ game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena.
What Will the Clippers Get From Trading Harden to the Cavaliers?
Like Harden, Garland is a veteran All-Star guard. He has spent his entire seven-season NBA career with the Cavaliers after the franchise drafted him out of Vanderbilt with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 draft.
Garland is currently out with a foot injury and has not played in a game since Jan. 14. But before the injury, he was averaging 18.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists in 26 games this season. Garland has also been a regular starter for the Cavaliers throughout his career, starting in 404 out of 408 career games.
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Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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