When the Cleveland Cavaliers traded point guard Darius Garland to the Los Angeles Clippers, many questioned the deal. An NBA insider explains the trade’s significance and potential motivations.
NBA Insider Believes That Health Played a Major Role in the Cavaliers Trading Darius Garland
On January 4, the Cavaliers sent Garland along with a second-round pick to Los Angeles for James Harden. People questioned the logic in sending a 26-year-old two-time All-Star for a 36-year-old veteran. NBA insider Chris Haynes appeared on Sirius XM NBA Radio to discuss the reasoning.
Why did the Cleveland Cavaliers trade away Darius Garland to bring in James Harden?@ChrisBHaynes tells @BGeltzNBA health played a big part in the decision.
Listen to the full show:https://t.co/LilkergPt6 pic.twitter.com/lIqLYP3gTy
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) February 11, 2026
“The Darius Garland-Donovan Mitchell pairing worked to an extent, but it ultimately didn’t get them to where they wanted to get. Bringing in James Harden gives them new life. Gives them hope. You can make the case on who you’d rather have at this stage of their career, Garland at 26 or James Harden.
The one thing you can say about James Harden is that he’s been durable. He’s been available. That hasn’t been the case for Darius Garland.”
To Haynes’ point, Harden has played over 70 games, 10 times. Meanwhile, Garland played at least 70 when he started 75 last year. Injuries have played a major role in keeping him off the court. That traces back to his only year in college.
At Vanderbilt, he played just five games before injuring his meniscus. Injuries followed him to the NBA. In 2020, he missed the last five games of the season with a groin injury. In 2021, a right shoulder sprain kept him home for eight games.
Later that season, an ankle sprain sat him down for seven games. The following year saw two different situations. A lower back injury in February cost him eight games, while an eye laceration forced him to miss six games. In December 2023, after colliding with center Kristaps Porzingis, Garland missed 19 games during that stretch. Additionally, Garland hasn’t played since January 14 due to a toe injury.
The Clippers and Cavaliers appear at different points in their franchise histories. Los Angeles claims the No. 10 spot in the Western Conference with a 25-28 record. In contrast, the Cavaliers hold down the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference.
They hope Harden can mesh with Mitchell, allowing for a deeper playoff run. In his first two games, he’s averaged 22.5 points, 7.5 assists, and 6.0 rebounds, helping his new team win both games. On the other hand, the Clippers look to rebuild. Kawhi Leonard is their franchise player, and he may want to leave if he doesn’t want to be part of a rebuild.
While each team embraces a measure of risk in the deal, each hopes that the gambles pay off.
