James Harden trade rumors: Celtics rival emerges as landing spot

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James Harden trade rumors: Celtics rival emerges as landing spot

Souichi Terada · MassLive

Tue, Feb 3, 2026 ·

2 min read

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A new subplot of the NBA’s trade deadline popped up unexpectedly late Monday evening. The Clippers and Cavaliers have had “advanced discussions” on a deal that would swap James Harden and Darius Garland , per Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix .

That’s a big development on the trade market and one that could shake up the Eastern Conference. Mannix also reported the Cavs have pushed for a draft pick or swap as part of the deal, though the Clippers have resisted. The NBA’s trade deadline is set for 3 p.m. Thursday, so there’s still time for the teams to come together on a deal.

Harden, 36, is putting up big numbers for the Clippers this season. He’s averaging 25.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 8.1 assists in 44 games. Harden has missed the Clippers’ past two games due to personal reasons. Notably, Harden has a no-trade clause, so he can choose which team he lands on if there is a deal.

Garland, 26, is a former All-Star guard but hasn’t played much this season due to injury. He’s averaging 18.0 points and 6.9 assists through 26 games but hasn’t played since Jan. 14 due to an ankle sprain. It’s clear the Cavs are looking for more backcourt help with Garland being sidelined through parts of the season.

Harden joining the Cavaliers would make the East more competitive ahead of the playoffs. The 11-time All-Star is putting together another stellar offensive season. Harden is a big reason why the Clippers have had their midseason resurgence after a brutal start to the season.

The Cavs are also in win-now mode with Donovan Mitchell leading the way. They already made a trade earlier this week , shipping De’Andre Hunter to the Kings in exchange for Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis . Landing Harden would take pressure off Mitchell with an eye on the playoffs.

Cleveland is currently 30-21, tied for fifth in the East. The Cavs have been a slight disappointment after earning the No. 1 seed in the conference last year. But the Cavs have played better of late, winning eight of their last 10 games. It remains to be seen if they can make the big swing and land Harden in a trade.

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