The Cleveland Cavaliers made a big splash at the 2026 NBA trade deadline.
The Cavs turned heads when they decided to send Darius Garland to the Los Angeles Clippers and brought in James Harden. Now, the latest reporting suggests that Cleveland almost made a different decision prior to the deadline.
Cleveland Cavaliers Weighed Multiple Blockbuster Trades Prior to Deadline
Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers got over the second-round hump this postseason. After falling short in the 2024 and 2025 Eastern Conference Semifinals, they reached the 2026 Conference Finals, but they were ultimately swept by the New York Knicks.
Cleveland acquired Harden in February to upgrade their backcourt and add valuable veteran experience, but they nearly went in a different direction at the deadline. Cavaliers beat writer Chris Fedor broke down three other possible scenarios that never materialized.
“If it wasn’t Harden, it might’ve been someone else. The Cavs wondered about Boston’s appetite for moving Derrick White — a non-starter given Jayson Tatum’s speedy recovery from a ruptured Achilles. They contemplated a Jrue Holiday swap with Portland, given Holiday’s defensive acumen and championship pedigree, ultimately determining he wasn’t enough of a reliable offensive engine,” wrote Fedor.
White and Holiday make their biggest impact on the defensive end, often guarding the opposition’s best perimeter scorer. They played key roles in the Boston Celtics’ 2024 title run. However, as Fedor notes, the Cavaliers wanted a “reliable offensive engine,” and neither player fit this role. Holiday provides a steady, veteran presence but likely did not have the shot and pick-and-roll creation that Cleveland wanted.
White’s 2025-26 campaign was the worst shooting season of his career. He averaged a career-high 16.5 points per game but shot just 39.4% from the field and 32.7% from deep. White never fully settled into a larger shot-creation role with Tatum out for most of the campaign.
Ultimately, the Cavaliers thought Harden’s playmaking, 3-point shooting, on-ball creation, and pick-and-roll mastery benefited them more. However, the 11-time All-Star struggled in the playoffs. His scoring dipped from 23.6 points per game in the regular season to 19.2. Harden shot just 41.0% from the field and a shocking 29.9% from 3-point range. He also averaged 4.7 turnovers to 5.5 assists over 18 postseason contests.
After a season-long trade-rumor saga, the Milwaukee Bucks elected to hold onto Giannis Antetokounmpo through the deadline. However, Fedor notes that Cleveland had “internal” interest in acquiring the two-time MVP.
“There were a few other internal discussions, including Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo,” according to Fedor.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Milwaukee is open to hearing offers for Antetokounmpo this summer. It will be interesting to see if the Cavaliers make an aggressive, all-in move for the 10-time All-Star before the 2026-27 campaign.
This season, Cleveland had the NBA’s highest payroll at $217.4 million. Next season, they project to once again have the highest payroll ($218,072,505), and Harden has a $42.3 million player option for next year. The Cavaliers certainly have a lot to think about this summer, whether they want to continue with this core or pivot with another big trade.
