James Harden 's tenure with the Los Angeles Clippers officially came to an end. Ahead of the NBA's Trade Deadline, the 36-year-old Harden was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for 26-year-old two-time All-Star Darius Garland and a second-round pick, a move that basically nobody saw coming.
The decision to part ways with Harden was especially surprising, since the Clippers were in the midst of an incredible turnaround and had just climbed into the ninth seed in the Western Conference after starting the season out at 6-21. Harden was a massive driver of that surge.
At the end of the day, however, basketball is a business and The Beard and the Clippers agreed that a trade would be beneficial for both sides . Harden, who's at the tail-end of his career, was looking for an extension and a win-now situation.
At the same time, the L.A. squad, which was realistically in no position to contend for a title this season, is more focused on getting younger. Ironically enough, the Clippers hosted the Cavaliers at the Intuit Dome and welcomed their new point guard, while Harden is expected to make his Cavaliers debut on Saturday against the Sacramento Kings .
Before he suits up for the Cavs for the first time, however, the one-time MVP authored a heartfelt message of farewell to the franchise he called home for the last 2.5 seasons.
"Thank you, Steve Ballmer, L Frank, and the entire Clipper organization. Two and a half years ago, you welcomed me with open arms and allowed me to be the best version of myself. To say I'm grateful is an understatement," Harden said in an emotional social media post.
"I'll forever consider myself a Clipper," he concluded.
While Harden's stay with the Clippers wasn't long, he definitely made a lasting impact, not just in terms of statistics and records, but also in culture.
In his two-and-a-half-year stint in Inglewood, Harden became the franchise leader in triple-doubles, fourth in assists per game, sixth in assists, seventh in three-pointers made, and seventh in points per game. He also holds the distinction of being the first player to score 50 at Intuit Dome and he shares the franchise record for points in a game (55) with Kawhi Leonard .
He was also a huge help in developing players like Ivica Zubac , John Collins , Jordan Miller , Kobe Sanders , and Yanic Konan-Niederhauser. Harden was also a large part in leading the Clippers to back-to-back 50-win seasons. The last time that the Clippers won 50 or more games was back in the 2016-17 season.
While he ultimately couldn't lead the Clippers to playoff success, his contributions with the franchise are hard to deny.
Clippers Head Coach Ty Lue and Leonard also shared their sentiments on Harden's departure.
"Everybody knows James was great for us. His ability to make guys better, his ability to play every single night, his ability to score the basketball," Lue said before the Clippers took on the Cavaliers, Wednesday night. "It's just bigger than on the court, he was really a great guy. Everybody loved him, the organization, the players. He was a rockstar. It was great, these two and half years were really good, and I'm just happy for both sides."
"He was a great teammate, we spent time together, had great memories, and I wish him the best of luck in his career," added Leonard, who admitted that he was shocked to see Harden get traded, but understood that it was a business decision. "Like I said before, we're still locked in and I respect him."
The Cavaliers will be the sixth team in Harden's already Hall of Fame-worthy 17-year NBA career. There, he'll play alongside another future legend in Donovan Mitchell as they both continue their pursuit of an NBA championship.
Related: "Storybook Ending" - The ambitious plan to bring LeBron, Giannis, and Harden to Cleveland
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
