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Winners, Losers from James Harden trade to Cleveland Cavaliers

· Yahoo Sports

In the countless NBA games I have covered over the years, I have never been to one where seemingly no media members were actually watching the game on the court, which is exactly what I saw in the second half of the 76ers’ blowout of the Clippers at the Intuit Dome Monday night.

That's because Chris Mannix had broken the story that the Clippers were in advanced talks to trade James Harden to the Cavaliers. Everyone scrambled to chase that story, the game itself became secondary. By Tuesday night, that trade was completed.

Who are the winners and losers from this deal? Let's break it down, starting with reminding ourselves of the trade itself.

Cleveland receives: James Harden
LA Clippers receive: Darius Garland, 2026 second-round pick

Winner: James Harden

There is no way this trade happened without Harden's agents talking to the Cavaliers about future paydays. Because that is what this is really about. In the next 48-72 hours, there will be a lot of spin about Harden going to a team where he could help a team compete for a title, but don't be fooled: this is about the money. It's always about the money.

Harden has a player option for $42.3 million next season, with only $13.3 million of that guaranteed. Harden talked to the Clippers about where they were headed as an organization, and whether they would guarantee his full salary for next season, plus talk extension after the season. That's not where the Clippers are — they are an older team that isn't a contender, and they weren't going to commit to paying Harden. The Clippers are looking to pivot away from the Harden/Kawhi Leonard era over the next couple of years and did not want to discuss an extension.

That led both sides to talk trade. This was mutual, not animosity-filled; both sides wanted to get the other something that worked for them. They found it.

This summer, expect Harden to get some kind of extension.

Winner: Cavaliers offense

Last season, the Cavaliers had the best offense in the NBA and it wasn't close. This season, the Cavaliers' offense is down 4.1 points per 100 possessions from a year ago and ninth in the league. Most of that drop-off can be attributed to Garland battling toe injuries dating back to last season, which required surgery. A season ago, it was Garland taking on more of the offense, which allowed Donovan Mitchell to pick his spots and be more efficient. This season, it's back to being the Mitchell show.

Harden is instant offense, even at age 36. He is averaging 25.4 points per game, can still get to the rim or hit a step-back 3-pointer, and he is instantly the best passer on the Cavaliers roster. He can take some of the scoring load off Mitchell and give Cleveland another shot creator that defenses have to worry about.

How Harden likes to play — he holds the ball for an average of 6 seconds every time he touches it, the longest in the league — differs from the ball movement and tempo coach Kenny Atkinson wants in the Cleveland offense. That said, great players figure out how to make it work, and Harden and Mitchell are great players. The Cavaliers' offense just got better.

Loser: Cavaliers in playoffs

Harden has had some spectacular playoff games, but also some spectacularly bad nights at the worst time. The most recent example: Last season, in Game 7 against Denver in a hard-fought series, Harden had seven points on 2-of-8 shooting and was a non-factor. There have been too many of those nights in the playoffs.

Cleveland made this trade because they realize their window is now — the East is wide open this year, they have been better with Garland off the floor. Harden is a more durable player who should bolster their offense. All of that is there to set up a deep playoff run, and I just can't trust Harden in a seven-game series anymore. Cavaliers fans should hope I am wrong, but I fear I am not.

Probably Winner: LA Clippers

Usually, when a team trades for an All-Star 10 years younger than the guy they sent out the door, that is an automatic win. There are two reasons I made this only a probable win for the Clippers.

1) Darius Garland's health. Hopefully, the Clippers can get him the rest or treatment or medical specialists he needs to heal the toe issues that have plagued him since last season. Garland should get healthy and be better at some point, but this has dragged on long enough to give us pause. The Clippers need him to get right.

2) What is the Clippers' long-term plan? Trading for the 26-year-old Garland is a step toward reshuffling the deck, getting younger, and pivoting to whatever comes next. Except we don't know what that will be. Nobody does. I like this trade for the Clippers, but it's one piece in a much larger puzzle, and I need to see more of it put together before I fully trust this as the right move.

Winner: Family trees

Winston Garland, Darius Garland's father, used to play for the Clippers.