Clippers, Cavaliers swap James Harden for Darius Garland

The LA Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly engaging in a high-stakes swap of guards.

James Harden is headed to the Cavs, with the Clippers agreeing to send the 11-time All-Star back to the Eastern Conference during his highest-scoring season in six years, per multiple reports.

LA receives:

• Darius Garland
• Future second-round pick

Cleveland receives:

ESPN was first to report the deal was finalized.

BREAKING: The Los Angeles Clippers are trading James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland and a second-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Prolific swap of the star point guards. pic.twitter.com/IHhhhabJnX

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 4, 2026

The Cavaliers are giving up point guard Darius Garland and a second-round pick, per reports, but the deal has not been officially completed. That approval could come by Wednesday, when the Cavaliers and Clippers face off in Inglewood, California.

“He means a lot to our team and we’ve seen it the last three years,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said Monday night when stories began breaking indicating such a move was close. “Who wouldn’t want to have James Harden?”

Harden is averaging 25.4 points this season, his most since averaging 34.3 points in 2019-20.

He’s been a huge part of the Clippers’ resurgence back into playoff — or, at least, play-in — contention after a dismal 6-21 start.

“He means a lot to our team and we’ve seen it the last three years,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said Monday night when stories began breaking indicating such a move was close. “Who wouldn’t want to have James Harden?”

Cleveland will become Harden’s sixth team. He played for Oklahoma City, then Houston, then Brooklyn, then Philadelphia and, since 2023, the Clippers.

For the Cavaliers, it seems to be a short-term move as it pairs the 36-year-old Harden with another star guard, Donovan Mitchell. For the Clippers, it seems to be a move with an eye on the future, with the 26-year-old Garland, a two-time All-Star, averaging 18 points and 6.9 assists this season.

Harden opted out of the final year of his contract last summer with the Clippers to sign a new deal that would have been worth $81.5 million for this season and the 2026-27 campaign. Next year is at his option, which basically means he was on a one-year contract anyway.

He got that deal after averaging 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 8.7 assists and returning to the All-NBA team for the first time since 2019-20.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.