Arya News - The 36-year-old Harden is averaging 25.4 points per game this season.
The Los Angeles Clippers are trading James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Darius Garland and a second-round pick, ESPN"s Shams Charania reports .
Conjecture of potential trade for Harden gained steam just ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 5, as Yahoo Sports" Kelly Iko reported late Monday evening that the Clippers and Cavs were engaged in discussions surrounding the veteran All-Star.
The 36-year-old Harden is in the second year of a two-year, $81.5 million deal he signed last June when he declined to activate the opt-out clause in his contract. Because of the structure of his contract, he could have declined any trade.
Harden does have a $42.3 million player option for 2026-27, but only $13 million of it is guaranteed.
Harden is in his 17th NBA season, and the Cavaliers will be his sixth since he was drafted third overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2009. He has spent the past three seasons with the Clippers, averaging 21.1 points, 8.5 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.
This season, Harden has played 44 games and averaged 25.4 points per game, his highest since the 2019-20 season. Despite a strong case for his 12th All-Star selection this season, he was left off the roster, along with teammate Kawhi Leonard, topping the list of this year"s snubs .
In December, Harden entered the NBA"s top 10 all-time scoring list and is currently ninth .
This story will be updated.