Only the Cleveland Cavaliers would think about extending James Harden‘s contract after his performance directly contributed to their team being swept by the New York Knicks in the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals. The same team barely escaped the second round of the playoffs, needing seven games to defeat Cade Cunningham‘s Detroit Pistons, largely due to Harden’s inefficient offense and defective defense. By the numbers, he was horrendous, shooting 38.0% from the field (29.4% from 3) against the Pistons and averaging 4.4 turnovers per game. In the ECF, Harden shot 38.9% (17.9% from 3) and posted 17 turnovers to 12 assists.
In what world, beside Cavs general manager Koby Altman’s, is that deserving of a multi-year contract? Moreover, even if cooler heads have theoretically prevailed, how can Cleveland have enough confidence in Harden’s performance for news to spread about an anticipated extension (h/t ESPN’s Brian Windhorst) merely a day after being swept?
Frankly, the only reason to keep Harden is to save face for the Darius Garland trade. Garland was a flawed defender whose chemistry with Donovan Mitchell, the team’s top talent, was in question. Two of his past three seasons have been ravaged by injury, significantly reducing his availability. Even so, Garland is still 10 years younger than Harden. As a two-time All-Star approaching his theoretical prime, he represented the Cavs’ future. Yet, Cleveland was so gung-ho about appeasing Mitchell that they chose to swap spit with the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Cleveland Cavaliers Need To Trade James Harden ASAP
To put it as plainly as possible, Harden cannot remain with the Cavaliers. To be even more clear, he needs to be off the team by the start of the 2026-27 preseason. Though his contract is an obstacle, it isn’t insurmountable.
I’ve seen enough. Idk where Harden gotta go, but he can’t stay here
— Quenton Albertie (△⃒⃘) (@qshironalberti3) May 26, 2026
Ideally, Harden would just opt out of his contract and move on to another team. Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of teams willing to give $42.3 million to a 36-year-old player in his twilight, especially after his playoff letdown. Therefore, he’s more likely to pick up his 2026-27 player option than decline it. Yes, Harden is a future first ballot Hall of Famer. However, his well-documented postseason demons are still haunting him. If a team wants to win a championship, he’s just not that guy.
Keeping that in mind, Harden’s high salary may limit the trades that they can make. Yet, there’s at least one trade that they should be able to execute legally — a three-team deal that includes the Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves. Here’s how it works:
Cavs receive – Jaden McDaniels
Grizzlies receive – James Harden, Rudy Gobert
Timberwolves receive – Ja Morant, Jaylen Wells, Santi Aldama
Based on myriad reports, the Grizzlies are ready to move on from Ja Morant, whom they drafted second overall in 2019. There are several factors that have contributed to this, but they’re effectively the consequences of Morant’s actions. Sure, Cedric Coward consistently takes up for his teammate but his biased remarks don’t cover the fact that Morant has made several bone-headed decisions. He’s hard-headed, thinking he’s bigger than the program due to his All-Star status. Being a demon-diva isn’t cute when you’re a 6-year-old girl, let alone when 26-year-old man.
All the same, the Timberwolves have been connected to Morant for months. This is partially due to Morant and Grizzlies star Anthony Edwards having similar personalities in that they’re ultra-confident African-American men who express themselves in a way that’s common among the urban youth. Minnesota’s need to upgrade at point guard is just as big of a factor; Mike Conley‘s getting too long in the tooth and Donte DiVincenzo hasn’t lived up to his billing.
So, what if Minnesota could get Morant and Memphis filled in that space with Harden’s expiring contract?
Cavs receive: Jaden McDaniels
Timberwolves receive: Ja Morant, Jaylen Wells, Santi Aldama
Grizzlies receive: James Harden, Rudy GobertWho says no?
— Quenton Albertie (△⃒⃘) (@qshironalberti3) May 26, 2026
In fact, what if the Grizzlies put themselves in position to clear up approximately $80 million off their books next summer and to be competitive next season?
To do that, they would have to be willing to take on Rudy Gobert, who has a $38 million player option for the 2027-28 season. With the Timberwolves considering a shake-up that would rattle their core, Gobert is a potential casualty of that movement. Though he’s been Minnesota’s defensive anchor since 2022, his offensive limitations have a noticeable trickle-down effect that caps the team’s potential.
Flipping Gobert for a floor-spacing seven-footer like Santi Aldama would open up their offense. Furthermore, though Naz Reid would likely start, it prevents the Wolves from being overly reliant upon Reid’s play or availability. If they don’t like his fit, they have a team option on his contract for the 2026-27 season. In other words, they can either add $17 million back to their cap space or use Aldama as trade bait for another deal.
What’s In It For The Cavs?
What do the Cavaliers get from all of this?
Jaden McDaniels, a top-tier perimeter defender who has truly started to come into his own at the other end. In the 2025-26 regular season, the combo forward averaged a career-high 14.8 points per game, scoring 20+ points in 17 games. Just as impressively, at least relative to expectations, he nailed a career-best 41.2% of his 3s. In the 2026 NBA Playoffs, McDaniels fell back to earth, making just 23.8% of his 3s. However, the 25-year-old still averaged 16.3 points per game while putting his straps on at the other end.
Of course, the Timberwolves wouldn’t want to give up a player like that, perhaps not even for Morant. That’s what makes the inclusion of Grizzlies wing Jaylen Wells so important. Already a well-known 3-and-D wing despite being drafted in 2024, Wells has made over 35 percent of his 3s in both of his career seasons. In 2025-26, the former second-round pick was shooting 36.7% from 3 after the All-Star Break. On top of that, Wells is still on his rookie contract and will make about 10 times less than McDaniels. This is notable not just due to the second-apron era CBA rules but Minnesota’s inclination to re-sign impending free agent Ayo Dosunmu.
⚔️ starters: Donovan Mitchell, Jaylon Tyson, Jaden McDaniels, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
🐺 starters: Ja Morant, Ayo Dosunmu, Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Naz Reid
🐻 starters: James Harden, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cedric Coward, Cam Boozer/Caleb Wilson, Rudy Gobert
— Quenton Albertie (△⃒⃘) (@qshironalberti3) May 26, 2026
So far as the Cavs are concerned, Harden is a more gifted player than McDaniels. Yet, the true value of a player isn’t just how many points they can contribute. Their value is also measured in how many points they give up. From that perspective, McDaniels would have a better impact on Cleveland than Harden, who only excels at one end. That’s particularly true when Harden’s off his game, as he was when he faced Detroit and New York this postseason.
Besides, adding McDaniels makes it easier for them to move off of Evan Mobley. Of note, the Cavs are rumored to have rejected an offer for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo because they didn’t want to surrender Mobley. Based on how Mobley looked against the Knicks, this is probably another decision that Altman is secretly kicking himself for.
© David Richard-Imagn Images
