The trade that many around the league did not see coming sent James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers from the Los Angeles Clippers, and he has already made his debut. Emotions and expectations are running high as he begins to build chemistry with Donovan Mitchell during the current NBA season. The move immediately shifted the conversation in the Eastern Conference and placed Cleveland back under a national spotlight.
Harden took the time to deliver a strong message about NBA player loyalty. The 11-time All-Star and 2017-18 MVP spoke passionately on the subject when asked why he and players of his caliber have continuously moved on to different teams as frequently as they have. His answer reflected the perspective of a veteran who has seen every side of the business.
“I mean, it’s basketball and the whole quote-unquote loyalty thing, I think it’s overrated,” Harden said after the Cavs blew out the Washington Wizards to extend their winning streak to five games. “This is a business at the end of the day, and it’s a lot of money involved and a lot of decisions that have to be made.
“Like, if a player isn’t producing or if you don’t see him in the future, then the front office, some of them have to do a job and want to keep their job. So they feel like they’ve got to do what’s best to keep their job, and they trade players. Or, if a guy isn’t happy and he wants to be traded somewhere else, then it’s a problem.”
James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Teams Harden has played for
The Cavs are the fifth team that Harden has played for in his career and the fourth organization he has been dealt to in the last five years. After eight-plus seasons with the Houston Rockets, they sent him to the Brooklyn Nets. The transaction marked the end of an era for one franchise and the beginning of a title chase for another.
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A year and a half later, the Nets traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers. After a falling out with team president Daryl Morey, who had once been his most ardent supporter during their time together in Houston, the 76ers eventually moved him again, this time to the Clippers.
Harden stays focused
Harden’s motivation behind the latest chapter of his journey in Cleveland is twofold. It is also tied to one of the few items that remains on his résumé, a goal many around the league still hope to see him accomplish given the player he has been and the level of play he has delivered for years.
“Winning a championship, or at least having a chance to, and then financially getting paid for me being available and playing at the highest level for so long,” Harden said. “So, this is a business at the end of the day. I feel like players should ultimately do what’s best for them, and the front office does what’s best for them and their owner and their organization.
“It’s two sides of a story.” Contractually, Harden and the Cavs will have to hammer out details after the NBA Finals. He has $13.3 million of his $42.3 million player option kicking in on June 29 before it fully guarantees on July 11.