James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers are actively collaborating on a potential trade ahead of the deadline, a situation that has been described around the league as “stunning for the entire the NBA.”
Among the teams showing interest, the Cleveland Cavaliers have emerged as the most serious suitor for Harden, who signed a two-year, $81.5 million deal with the Clippers during the 2025 offseason.
That contract includes a mutual option for the 2026-27 season, effectively giving Harden significant control over any trade decision.
“This was all made possible because Harden has a mutual option for next season, a $13 million partial guarantee,” Shams Charania said Tuesday morning on SportsCenter. “And that gave both sides the ability to sit down over the last few days and see where is his long-term future in LA? He wants to be somewhere where he’s going to be there for multiple years after this year. That was not promised for him in LA.
“And he wants to compete for a championship, which is something we’ve heard a lot with James Harden when he went to Brooklyn, when he went to Philly, and then he went again to the Clippers. So, he’s looking at the Cavaliers as potentially a better opportunity to make it to the Finals out east.
“One biggest key here with James Harden is he has a no trade clause in all this. So, he’s going to have a lot of dictation over his future at the deadline.”
James Harden Seeks Multi-Year Championship Contender, New Contract At Trade Deadline https://t.co/po9ftjPzh9
— RealGM (@RealGM) February 3, 2026
