Darius Garland and a second-round pick have been traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for 11-time All-Star James Harden, who will move to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
NBA insider Kevin O’Connor has made a shocking revelation as to why the Cavs organization was relieved to let the two-time All-Star move to the West Coast.
Cavs Players ‘Didn’t Trust’ Darius Garland
Speaking on the Yahoo Sports NBA YouTube show, O’Connor said, “Cavs players in the locker room said they didn’t trust Garland, especially in recent weeks.”
“He started the year with a toe injury, and then in January he suffered an injury to another toe. They were frustrated about him being in and out of the line-up in recent years. There was a sense that he wasn’t doing everything possible to prevent injury. The players, coaches, and front office all share those feelings in not liking those habits in the past few years.”
The new Clipper guard has been dealing with toe problems since last April, and offseason surgery hasn’t solved them. He suffered a bruise to his troublesome left toe just after returning in November and is now sidelined by a big toe sprain on his right foot.
The Cavs have been outscored by three points per 100 possessions with Garland on the court, which is the worst of any player on the team to log more than 500 minutes.
Garland may be 10 years younger than Harden, but availability is better than ability, and Harden is still showing up every night.
Despite Cleveland acquiring a player 10 years older than their previous guard, Harden is a much better playmaker than Garland and can still shoot lights out from three. This season, Harden has played 44 games, averaging 25.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 8.1 assists (3rd in the NBA).
As for the new Clipper Garland, he’s managed 26 games this season, averaging 18 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 6.9 assists. In every sense of the game, the Cavs are picking up a much better player, but his age means the Cavs must win now to get the full James Harden effect.
The former MVP has the big bodies of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen to protect the rim and play as active lob threats in transition. He is also forming a backcourt with Donovan Mitchell, one of the most proficient scorers in the league, who will take the scoring burden away from the veteran.
Mitchell is the sixth-highest scorer in the NBA this season, averaging 28.8 points per game. With Harden’s elite playmaking, the partnership has all the ingredients for success. The Cavs sit fifth in the East, winning 30 and losing 21. In a wide-open conference, why can’t they go on and make a deep postseason run?
