Harden Welcomes Trade to Cavaliers, Says Cleveland Offers Best Shot at First Title
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James Harden said he was caught off guard by the deal that sent him from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the 10-time All-Star insists he is ready to embrace his new home and a renewed title chase in the Eastern Conference.
“I’m excited about Cleveland,” Harden told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “I’m still trying to chase my first championship and do whatever it takes to win.”
The trade, finalized this week, moved Harden to the Cavaliers in exchange for guard Darius Garland. The agreement unfolded quickly and with little public build-up, surprising many around the league who expected the 34-year-old guard to remain in his hometown of Los Angeles.
Harden emphasized that he did not seek a trade. Talks on a new contract with the Clippers stalled last summer, with Los Angeles preferring financial flexibility over a long-term commitment to a player entering his mid-thirties. “At the end of the day, it is a business, and I think both sides got what they wanted,” Harden said. “I wanted them to actually have a chance to rebuild and get some draft capital.”
The former MVP believes the move positions him for a deeper postseason run alongside Cavaliers stars Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley. “As much as I wanted to stay in L.A. and give it a go, I’ve never won one before,” he added. “As a basketball mind, I think we have a bit better chance [in Cleveland].”
Harden arrives averaging 25.4 points and 8.1 assists this season, numbers Cleveland hopes will boost its offense as it pushes toward the playoffs.
Source: Hoops Wire
