The Cleveland Cavaliers are considered one of the top favorites to land LeBron James in free agency this summer, but one recent move may hurt their chances. Cleveland took a big risk by trading All-Star point guard Darius Garland for former MVP James Harden. The ceiling of the Cavaliers increased, including making the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since LeBron left the franchise for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Rich Paul discussed the pros and cons for each James’ free agent option this season. One bold comment saw Paul stating that Cleveland having Garland would have helped their case:
“Now, the negative (to signing with the Cavs) is, and this is no offense to Harden, there’s no Darius Garland. Because LeBron loves Garland the way he loves Tyrese Maxey.”
Paul named Garland and Tyrese Maxey as two guards that LeBron holds a lot of love for. The Philadelphia 76ers have a chance of adding James due to his respect for Maxey. Cleveland obviously has a chance to sign James either way, but Garland would have helped their chances. The only negative working in the Cavaliers favor is that they traded away someone LeBron would have loved to play with in favor of Harden.
Does LeBron James Dislike James Harden?
The assumption for many heading into the offseason was that Harden helps the Cavaliers chances at landing LeBron. Both men join a select list of names with Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and a few others as the 2000s breakout stars still playing at a high level in 2026.
However, Harden and James have never held a close relationship like many other top names have throughout their careers. Paul’s comments implied that LeBron is a mentor to a handful of young players around the league today, like Maxey and Garland being referenced in this context.
James has spoken with respect about Harden in the past, but he does add another ball handler to the equation. LeBron, Harden, and Donovan Mitchell sharing the basketball is something that James must have confidence in before signing a deal. The trade looks like a mistake now since Garland could have helped Cleveland land LeBron easier.
Cleveland Still Considered Favorites For LeBron James
The offseason sees many twists and turns, but the conventional thought right now is that Cleveland is the leading favorite for James to sign there. A handful of other teams have serious interest and realistic confidence that they can talk LeBron into joining their roster instead.
The Golden State Warriors stand out among the top threats to the Cavaliers since James can team with longtime rivals Curry and Draymond Green for the first time. Contenders like the Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat hope to have a chance to boost their rosters.
Regardless of who he picks, LeBron has no shortage of suitors and will get to call his shot. The Cavaliers can bank on having the storybook scenario of James playing for his hometown team one more time and retiring with the franchise that drafted him all the way back in 2003.
Trading For James Harden Hurt Cavs Chances Of Signing LeBron