Why did the Cavs trade for James Harden?
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily presented by Amazon Prime for February 4th, 2026. I'm Dave DeFore here with Espera Henne. Coming up, we had another trade. James Harden's been traded to the Cavaliers for Darius Garland. Danny Cunningham is here to talk about the Cav side of the deal. And our man Lawrence Murray, Law Murray, is in town to talk about the Clippers. Good morning, everybody. Good morning, guys. How's it going? I mean, Danny, I don't know how it's going for you, buddy. Danny Cunningham from the Locked on Cavs podcast. Probably a bit of a shock for you to now be covering James Harden when this wasn't really on anyone's radar until two days ago.
Yeah. When the trade deadline approached, I guess, I mean, which still hasn't gotten here, even though it feels like every team in the NBA acted like it was Tuesday and today was nuts.
Yeah. Yeah.
What triggered the trade of James Harden to the Cavaliers?
Right. Like it was insane. As this trade season approach, I thought we could see the Cavs get a little crazy, but I didn't think Darius Garland.
How does Danny Cunningham view the Cavaliers' side of the trade?
I certainly did not think James Harden would be part of that equation. So nuts is certainly a good way to describe it. I think that this is a move for the Cavs that is just like, hey, we didn't actually believe or we had to stop believing, I guess, would maybe be a better way of putting it in the core for that. They assembled that they had believed in since Donovan Mitchell arrived in Cleveland and even with Garland and Mobley and Allen dating back before Mitchell's arrival in Cleveland.
Cleveland so this was a certainly like if you would have told me this a month ago I think I would have been a lot more stunned than I am sitting here talking to you guys about it now just having time to process a little bit but wild nonetheless how much of the calculus is the the issues that garden Garland has dealt with injury wise over the last couple of seasons and not necessarily knowing what you can get from him in the playoffs coming up and and in the future
I think a lot of it because I still do look at what was with Darius Garland when he was healthy and at his best and what that Cavs team. And I know that last year's team is not this year's team, but what the ceiling of that group was particularly offensively with him as the engine is through the roof. And this year he was not the same guy. There were glimpses of it, right? Like we've seen him have good games this year, but the fact that now he has a toe injury on his other foot, it's hard for me to look at this situation and think that if Darius Garland were fully healthy, if he didn't have the issues he had in the playoffs last year with the left foot, didn't have the issue with the foot on the other side, the right foot.
Now it's hard for me to think that that trade gets made, but the Cavs are ultimately in a spot where they have pressure to perform. They have pressure to, you know, advance in the playoffs and an Eastern conference that is wide open right now. And I guess the question becomes, well, who do you trust more? Do you trust James Harden in the playoffs or do you trust Darius Garland to be available and at his best in the playoffs? It's a tricky question.
I don't know.
I don't know that either of them are great answers, but I can at least expect James Harden to be available. And I think that is kind of the thing that puts us over to the edge is James Harden for all of his shortcomings. And he asked them, right? Like he's not a, a proven playoff performer by any stretch of the imagination, at least, at least not recently, but you know, he's going to be out there. And I think that is something that does matter in this conversation.
Well, I'd say it's safe to say you look right now, they're basically tied for the four seed with the Raptors. This puts them into home court advantage territory. I mean, James Harden is a guy, to your point, he's going to play. Their offense is going to crush. He can run, pick and roll with Jared Allen. He can run, pick and roll with Evan Mobley. He's not going to do much, though. when he doesn't have the ball in his hands.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:07–1:04
2
What triggered the trade of James Harden to the Cavaliers?
1:04–1:11
3
How does Danny Cunningham view the Cavaliers' side of the trade?
1:11–7:13
4
What are the implications of Darius Garland's injuries for the Cavaliers?
7:13–15:28
5
How might James Harden fit into the Cavaliers' offensive strategy?
15:28–17:04
6
What challenges could arise from pairing Harden and Mitchell in Cleveland?
17:04–25:05