While most of the trade talks during the recent deadline centered on two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and where he would end up, the Cleveland Cavaliers snuck up on everyone. They pulled off a savvy deal, acquiring former league MVP James Harden in exchange for All-Star point guard Darius Garland .
Though some are concerned about Harden's age, how much he has left in the tank and certainly, his propensity to crumble in the playoffs, there is one person who sees something special in the former Los Angeles Clippers guard — Kevin Garnett .
On "The Ticket & The Truth," KG elaborated on his belief that Harden has what it takes to take the Cavs to the next level after they fell woefully short last season despite holding the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
While Harden has undeniably made a name for himself as one of the NBA's greatest scorers, many often forget that he's also an elite playmaker who can draw the defense in and find open teammates for easy baskets.
While Garland was a gifted point guard who averaged 6.7 assists over seven seasons in Cleveland, he is far from Harden's level in creating opportunities for his teammates. This is where Garnett sees potential in the pairing of Harden and All-Star scorer Donovan Mitchell .
"He'll give him a jolt. He's going to do the playmaking," the Big Ticket surmised . "Now, guess what Spider can do? Yeah — catch and shoot, catch and go, pump fake and move."
"You got somebody to facilitate that better than Garland. I felt like Garland was in that mode too, trying to figure himself out and figure his wave out, right?" KG continued. "And yeah, I don't know. It never clicked with him and Spider for me. They look cool at moments, but then it'll be a real, real disconnect, right?"
Garnett's examination of the Cavs makes sense. The Cavaliers haven't been as dominant as they were last season. A substantial part of that is the injuries that Garland is dealing with, which have limited him to only 26 games so far this season.
Still, it's clear to hoop observers and analysts that something had to change in Cleveland if they wanted to pounce on the chance to seize the East this season.
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The Cavs have two All-Star big men, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen , who are capable of soaring to the rim for easy slam dunks. Curiously, the Cavs weren't able to maximize their talents with Garland at the one. KG, though, believes that would change with Harden now manning the point, much as he had in his stops in Houston and L.A.
"(Ivica) Zubac was a lob threat. The boy — the boy in Atlanta — big fella down in Houston. Clint Capella. He made him a lob threat. Got him a big contract. You understand?" KG pointed out. "If Mobley and Jarrett Allen can tap into what he was doing with Zubac, it's over. He can get Mobley and Allen six to eight points a game just off the lob threat and what he was doing for the Clippers."
While it remains to be seen how Harden will fare at his latest stop, his Cavs stint did get off to a victorious start as he had 23 points and eight assists in their recent victory over the Sacramento Kings .
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
