Story byNick GalaidaWed, February 4, 2026 at 5:52 PM UTC·5 min readTuesday, the Cavaliers acquired James Harden from the Clippers in exchange for Darius Garland and a second-round draft pick in 2026 – a move that immediately catapulted them to being priced as co-favorites alongside the Knicks at DraftKings Sportsbook to win the Eastern Conference. The trade hasn’t been met with universal acclaim for Cleveland, however. Some pundits have argued that trading away a two-time NBA All-Star entering his prime for a 36-year-old on the verge of a new contract is short-sighted. Others have questioned the fit of Harden alongside Donovan Mitchell in the team’s backcourt. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementUsing FTN’s new NBA StatsHub, let’s take a closer look at what Harden will bring to his new team, and why the Cavaliers were comfortable trading away Garland as they set their sights on a deep playoff run in a wide open Eastern Conference. James Harden Is Still a High-Impact PlayerJames Harden is certainly past his prime, but this version of him was still good enough to earn a down-ballot MVP vote and Third-Team All-NBA honors last season while playing 79 games for the Clippers. Looking at NBA StatsHub, we can see that Harden is one of only five players this year averaging at least 20 points and 8 assists per game — a benchmark he’s reached in five of the past six seasons.