Demin missed most of the offseason due to a plantar fascia tear.  However, he played in his second straight back-to-back after the All-Star break on Friday. The rookie guard had not played in a back-to-back in over two months before the All-Star break.

Following a promising start to his rookie campaign, Demin has seen a dip in production recently amid a move to shooting guard. The 19-year-old has averaged 8.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists on .360/.317/.789 shooting splits across 11 appearances in February.

Egor Demin, Nic Claxton land on Nets’ injury report ahead of Cavaliers matchup

Claxton’s appearance on the injury report with a thumb ailment comes after he played 23 minutes during Friday’s 148-111 loss to the Boston Celtics. The veteran center has continued one of the best offensive seasons of his career in February, averaging 14.2 points and 3.7 assists on 66.3 percent shooting. However, he’s gone nine straight games without a block, the longest streak of his seven-year career.

With Demin sidelined, rookie guard Ben Saraf could see extended minutes in Brooklyn’s rotation. The No. 26 pick rejoined the Nets during Friday’s loss following an extended stint in the G League.

If Claxton is unable to play, Day’Ron Sharpe will move into the Nets’ starting lineup at center. Sharpe has averaged 8.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists on 59.4 percent shooting in 18.6 minutes per game this season.

The post Nets’ Egor Demin ruled out, Nic Claxton questionable for Cavs matchup appeared first on ClutchPoints.

However, one of the most hilarious moments came when Kenny Atkinson was caught swearing at the touchline after a call did not go his team’s way.

“He pushed the s—t outta him on that finish, come on baby!” he was heard screaming at the refs, per a clip on X by Bleacher Report.

The Cavs were in control with a nine-point lead with less than four minutes remaining on the clock. However, they allowed the Pistons back into the game despite Cade Cunningham fouling out with almost two minutes on the clock.

The Cavs committed costly turnovers and allowed the Pistons back with a defensive error with 4.7 seconds on the clock. Guard Jaylon Tyson attempted to intentionally foul Pistons reserve Daniss Jenkins near halfcourt to prevent a game-tying three-point attempt.

Instead, he drew a three-shot foul, converting the resultant free throws and forcing overtime. The Pistons built a quick six-point advantage in OT, but the Cavaliers once again clawed back to within a single point behind a Tyson 3-pointer and a Dennis Schroder layup.

Following a successful coach’s challenge by Detroit, Tobias Harris hit a clutch turnaround jumper with 21 seconds left to give the Pistons a three-point cushion. Cleveland had one final opportunity to force double-overtime, but Mobley’s buzzer-beating 3-point attempt drew iron.

For the Pistons, Jalen Duren produced 33 points and 16 rebounds to lead his side with Cunningham finishing with 25 points and 10 rebounds alongside seven assists.

Jarrett Allen top-scored for Cleveland, continuing his staggering form with 25 points and nine rebounds, missing out on a double-double for only the second time in the last 10 games. Evan Mobley scored 23 while Sam Merrill added 20 points as well.

Regardless, the Cavs were in touching distance of a win despite the absences of both Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, and will now play the Brooklyn Nets next.

The post Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson caught cursing mid-game on live TV mic appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Harden is going through the 17th year of his NBA career, his first with the Cavaliers. He started the 2025-26 campaign with the Los Angeles Clippers before they traded him to Cleveland in exchange for Darius Garland.

Harden has impressed to begin his time with the Cavaliers, going 6-1 throughout his first seven games with the franchise. However, he is on the sidelines after fracturing his thumb against the New York Knicks on Feb. 24.

Head coach Kenny Atkinson provided an update on Harden’s health during Friday’s pregame press conference, via SB Nation. It was there where he revealed the veteran’s stars struggles in dealing with the hand injury.

“I know this morning he was struggling a little just dribbling,” Atkinson said. “If you have a hard time dribbling and catching [it’s tough to play]. Jarrett Allen went through it earlier in the season. We tried to bring him back. He wanted to rush, and then we had to go back and give him some time.

“I know James is different…we got to get the feedback from James. … Theres no tougher guy in the league. No one more available. No one wants to play more.”

What’s next for James Harden, Cavaliers

It’s clear that it will take time for James Harden to fully recover from the thumb fracture. Until then, the Cavaliers will have to hold down the fort without their newly-acquired star.

Harden has been impressive throughout his seven appearances with the Cavaliers. He is averaging 18.9 points, eight assists and 4.6 rebounds per game. He is shooting 49.4% from the field, including 48.8% from beyond the arc, and 86.7% from the free-throw line.

Cleveland has a 37-24 record on the season, sitting at fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. They are two games above the Toronto Raptors and three games above the Philadelphia 76ers while trailing the New York Knicks by 1.5 games and the Boston Celtics by three games.

Following Friday’s overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons, the Cavaliers will look to bounce back in their next matchup. They remain on the road when they face the Brooklyn Nets on March 1 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

The post Cavs’ James Harden struggling to dribble amid thumb fracture appeared first on ClutchPoints.

While taking part in an in-game interview from the bench, the sidelined Cavs superstar couldn’t help but play “armchair ref.” As he watched Dennis Schröder get a steal and then get fouled, Mitchell cut himself off to lobby for his teammate. “Look at Dennis, man. That’s a foul. Sorry,” he joked. It was a rare moment of levity in a building that felt more like a construction site than an NBA arena.

"Look at Dennis, man. That's a foul."

—Donovan Mitchell joined the broadcast from the bench pic.twitter.com/CWlyHJK2fw

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 28, 2026

The jokes eventually faded as the Pistons ground out a 122-119 victory in an overtime thriller. Jalen Duren was a man possessed, anchoring Detroit with a massive 33-point, 16-rebound triple-double. Cade Cunningham was just as clinical, with 26 points and seven assists to secure the win in front of a rowdy home crowd.

Despite being down Mitchell and James Harden, the Cavs refused to go quietly. Evan Mobley put up 23 points and 12 rebounds, while Jarrett Allen’s 25 points kept them alive long enough to force a 114-114 tie at the end of regulation. In the end, Detroit’s interior strength proved too much for the shorthanded Cavs to handle in the extra five minutes.

Despite showing tremendous grit and determination, the Cavs could not overcome the Pistons, who were missing their stars.

The post Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell hilariously demands a Dennis Schroder foul mid-interview appeared first on ClutchPoints.

For nearly 20 minutes, players and fans sat in a bizarre limbo as arena technicians scrambled to silence the noise. The glitch did more than just stop the sound; it wiped out the game clocks and the shot clocks, forcing the officiating crew to take more manual measures.

To keep the game moving, the arena staff eventually resorted to using a handheld air horn to signal the end of possessions and quarters. It was a scene more reminiscent of a local rec league than a professional NBA environment, but the officials had to make it work.

A horn delay?

That's what's currently going on in Cavs-Pistons

(via @omarisankofa)pic.twitter.com/D4QVx9G2HL

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 28, 2026

Despite the “street ball” atmosphere, the stakes remain incredibly high. The Detroit Pistons entered the night at 43-14, looking to tighten their grip on the top seed in the East. They currently hold a slim lead in a game that has become a total defensive grind. Jalen Duren has been a monster in the paint for Detroit, capitalizing on a Cleveland Cavaliers frontcourt that is working overtime.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are fighting uphill without their primary star power. Donovan Mitchell is sidelined with a groin strain, and the team just announced that James Harden is out after fracturing his right thumb. In their absence, Evan Mobley has stepped up as a playmaker, keeping Cleveland within striking distance despite the lack of a functioning scoreboard.

As we head into the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, the score is sitting at a tense 96-91 in favor of the Cavaliers, but with the way this night has gone, anything can happen.

Between the manual air horn blasts and the lack of a game clock, this game is officially off the rails. One thing is for sure: whoever walks away with the win tonight will have earned it in the strangest environment of the season.

The post Pistons-Cavs forced to use air horn after malfunction causes delay appeared first on ClutchPoints.

James Harden initially sustained the injury during the Cavs’ win against the New York Knicks on Tuesday, and has been sidelined since. In the immediate aftermath of the Cavs trading for the former All-Star guard, the team won five consecutive games before falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder last weekend.

With Harden sidelined against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday due to the injury, the Cavs lost, 118-116. Overall, the Cavs have gone 8-2 in their last 10 games, and are currently in fourth place in the East standings. They are 37-23, and only half a game behind the No. 3 Knicks.

Since the deal, Harden has appeared in seven games at a little over 32 minutes per game. He’s been averaging 18.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 8.0 assists with splits of 49.4 percent shooting from the field, 48.8 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 86.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line. It’s a small sample size, but if those field goal and 3-point shooting percentages hold, they would be career-highs for the 17-year veteran.

Prior to the trade, Harden had spent the past three and half seasons playing for his hometown LA Clippers. He was acquired by the Clippers in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers right at the beginning of the 2023-24 season.

The post James Harden to miss Pistons clash with thumb injury appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Days later, Keon Ellis now has an injury to his finger, according to Brett Siegel of Clutch Points.

“Cavs guard Keon Ellis has a non-displaced solar plate avulsion of his left index PIP joint. He will undergo treatment and continued evaluation, but like James Harden, is listed as questionable and will be game-to-game,” Siegel wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

The Cavs then updated the injury, per Siegel. “Slight correction here: This is a ‘non-displaced VOLAR plate avulsion of Ellis’ left index PIP joint.’ The Cavs’ statement originally said “solar plate,” but the correct term is ‘volar plate.'”

It seems as if the injury could lead to surgery at some point, but as of now, there have not been any new reports on what the Cavs plan on doing in the situation.

“A lot of the time, this injury is described by basketball players as a ‘jammed finger.’ An avulsion fracture means a small piece of the bone broke away from the main index finger bone. Those types of injuries usually eventually require surgery to fix,” Siegel wrote.

Ellis was a part of the deal along with Dennis Schroder when they were traded from the Sacramento Kings for De’Andre Hunter. With Harden’s injury, there was a good chance that Ellis was going to see an uptick in minutes, but with both of them sidelined, it will be up to the other players to step up.

If Ellis has to get surgery, it’s uncertain how long he’ll be sidelined, but there’s a good chance that it could be for a while. The Cavs will probably want to avoid that, but if there’s no other option, then they may have to play most of the season without him.

The good news is that it seems as if Max Strus could be making a return to the court soon, as he took part in his first contact practice since his injury.

The post Cavs’ Keon Ellis gets game-to-game update on finger injury appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Here’s everything we know about James Harden and Donovan Mitchell’s playing status vs. the Pistons, in addition to their teammates.

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James Harden, Donovan Mitchell’s injury statuses for Cavs vs. Pistons

When it comes to the question of whether James Harden and Donovan Mitchell are playing tonight in the Cavs vs. Pistons matchup, the answer is maybe for the former and no for the latter.

Harden’s status is still in question since suffering a broken right thumb in the team’s win over the New York Knicks on Tuesday. He missed Cleveland’s last game against the Milwaukee Bucks, but had a questionable tag before that contest, too. Though indications are that Harden will attempt to manage the pain and play through it, it appears he and the team are still taking things day by day.

This will be back-to-back missed games for Mitchell, who is dealing with a groin strain on his right side. The Cavs are coming off a five-game-in-seven-nights stretch going into Detroit, so it’s not surprising to see more names pop up on the injury list.

Dennis Schroder finished the squad’s most recent game in Milwaukee despite spraining his right ankle. That game also saw Dean Wade suffer the same injury and Keon Ellis break his left index finger. Although inching along in his progression, Max Strus is still out of action.

The Pistons won’t have Isaiah Stewart available, as he is still serving his suspension for the altercation with the Charlotte Hornets.

Cavs injury report

Donovan Mitchell: OUT (right groin strain)

James Harden: QUESTIONABLE (right thumb fracture)

Dennis Schroder: QUESTIONABLE (right ankle sprain)

Dean Wade: QUESTIONABLE (right ankle sprain)

Keon Ellis: QUESTIONABLE (left index finger fracture)

Max Strus: OUT (left foot surgery)

Riley Minix: OUT (two-way G League assignment)

Pistons injury report

Isaiah Stewart: OUT (league suspension)

Wendell Moore Jr.: OUT (two-way G League assignment)

Chaz Lanier: OUT (G League assignment)

Bobi Klintman: OUT (G League assignment)

The post Are James Harden, Donovan Mitchell playing tonight? Cavs vs. Pistons injury report appeared first on ClutchPoints.

“I was trying to win MVP. I ain’t gonna lie. I was trying to get it,” Tyson recalled at practice last week. “And he’s over there screaming something. But I made it.”

Unfortunately, Tyson’s Tracy McGrady-led Team T-Mac did not get a chance to get to the title game; that doesn’t mean Tyson didn’t bring his true self. He wound up leading his squad with 10 points and five rebounds in 11 minutes.

“The game, I wasn’t as happy ’cause it was only like five minutes, and then we had to get off the court,” Tyson said. “So I wanted to keep playing a full game.”

Tyson dished out two assists, one of which was a highlight reel hook-up with Miami Heat big man Kel’el Ware on an alley-oop while turning the corner. Missing the opportunity as a rookie, he treated it like a chance to show what he’s capable of with all eyes on the league’s biggest weekend.

“He plays one way,” Mitchell said. “He plays hard. He’s picking up full court. He’s doing all the things. I wish he had some help out there. He was rebounding. He was passing. He was doing everything.”

“It was cool sharing the court with them guys. In the back of my mind, I know I’m better than a lot of those guys, if not all of ’em,” Tyson added. “I just want to go out there and prove that every single day, and then, hopefully, be an All-Star one day.”

Unlike many of the talents that stayed the weekend in Los Angeles, Tyson took off after Friday to go home, recuperate, and prepare himself for the second half of the season. Mitchell was impressed by his professionalism in handling his first All-Star Weekend. He also ensured that the bright young forward’s presence was still felt when the 3-Point Contest came around.

Mitchell donned Tyson’s No. 20 with his name on the back as he fired away, just as he did with Sam Merrill’s uniform a couple of years ago.

“That was so cool,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “They have such a great relationship. Donovan, since Day 1, has embraced Jaylon. He observed him first, said, ‘This kid’s got this insane work ethic.’ It reminds me a lot of Donovan. So I think he’s a big part of Jaylon’s development. It really helps when your best player’s all-in on a young player’s development. I thought it was a cool gesture doing that.”

Although Tyson joked that his jersey was “a little too big” for Mitchell, he felt his teammate’s love, and it’s nothing new.

“He’s one of those guys that I’ll keep a relationship with throughout my whole career and beyond,” Tyson said. “Super grateful to have him. I feel like I give a lot of credit for the year I’m having to him, honestly. I go back on that text message; I don’t think people understand how much that text message meant to me and how much confidence it gave me. So I give a lot of credit to him for all my success.”

Tyson is referring to when Mitchell contacted him over the offseason about “needing him” and his confidence in him stepping into a larger role. Mitchell admittedly didn’t see the kind of year the sophomore swingman has had coming, averaging 13.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 27.4 minutes per game with the league’s third-best three-point shooting percentage (45.6%) and a top-20 effective field goal percentage (60.0%).

It helps to have a shoulder to lean on when things go in a different direction, and that was the topic of a heart-to-heart conversation when the two were flying to LA together before the festivities began in mid-February.

“I was like, ‘Hey, it may not be a 40-point night for you. It may not be 30 a night. It may not be a start, it may not be this,'” Mitchell said. “I’ve told him, ‘Man, you’ve already shown you’re capable. ‘You’ve already shown enough [than] more guys have done in their career, and you’ve shown in this in a little more half a year.’

“So for him to have his role adjust and to be okay with it is definitely impressive for a second-year guy. We’re going to be on him, and he’s going to have to continue to earn everything that he’s doing. Nothing’s given, but he’s doing a good job. We’ve got to keep it going.”

Jaylon Tyson, the Cavs’ directive, and the reality of the NBA

Since Cleveland shifted its roster with the acquisitions of James Harden, Dennis Schroder, and Keon Ellis, younger players have seen their responsibilities change and playing time decrease. Veterans have jumped them because of their experience and the need to acclimate to a new group. As a result, the players who’ve been praised throughout the season for their readiness have been knocked down a peg.

Craig Porter Jr. and Nae’Qwan Tomlin, for example, have been taken out of the current rotation. Tyson is still in the everyday lineup, but it’s not in the same vein.

“Defend, rebound, limit mistakes, make shots. That’s what it is,” Atkinson said. “Your package gets reduced in situations like this, and he understands that, and he’s been great. I think he had that great stretch; that was kind of how he got in the rotation, right? But now, being forward and looking at the playoffs, that’s kind of the role we’re looking at.”

“With everybody coming back, once we get fully healthy, it’s gonna be a lot of sacrifice that has to happen,” Tyson added. “Whatever that looks like, obviously, roles are gonna change. But just buying into that role and doing something bigger than any of us.”

Before Cleveland hosted the New York Knicks on Tuesday, Atkinson was surprisingly stern about Tyson, who played back-to-back games with under 17 minutes of playing time. Those were his lowest playing-time totals since late October.

Asked how he can get back to his usual amount of burn, Atkinson shared that Tyson and the role guys have to earn it because of the small window for Cleveland to put the pieces in place before the postseason.

“It’ll play itself out. It’s definitely a shift for him,” Atkinson said. “I understand that, as a young player, that’s not easy. You go from scoring 39 points a couple of weeks ago to, ‘My minutes are reduced a little.’ And I do think he had probably a couple of games where he wasn’t playing at that elite level. We obviously added three new guys, three new rotation guys. So, it’s just diced up a little differently.”

Tyson answers the call

Later that night, Atkinson praised Tyson for excelling at what was asked of him, particularly guarding Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.

“That was kind of the blueprint right there,” Atkinson said. “Offensively, played in the short roll, hit the catch-and-shoot three, limited his mistakes, and then played darn good defense. We put him on KAT there, and he’s big and strong enough to defend him and pressure him and bother him.

“Behind Dean, can he be that perimeter stopper? He’s shown he can do it. He’s done really well all year. As young players, [they] can make probably make a few more mistakes than a vet like Dean, but if he wants big playoff minutes, that’s going to be it. Can you be our task defender? It’s really trending positive: defensive numbers are good, size, obviously, a good rebounder. But there’s growth there. It’s really, ‘Cut down on the mistakes and be more solid [with] game plan stuff.'”

Tyson finished with 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists, recording a steal and a block each, only turning it over once. Mitchell was encouraged by Tyson’s performance within the flow of the game.

“You look at him being the 5-man tonight, being him and playing the pick and roll,” Mitchell said. “Pass to him, he has a layup, he has a floater, he’s making decisions. That’s what we’re going to need from him. That’s his bread and butter.”

Empathizing with how he may feel, Atkinson believes Tyson is handling the transition well.

“I don’t think it’s easy for anybody, but he’s an extremely mature guy,” Atkinson said. “He gets it. He’s got great veteran support that, not just the coaches, but vets that explain to him what this looks like, and we have these discussions as a team. And it’s not just Jaylon, right? It’s other role players. It’s Keon. It’s Dennis. It’s just part of this situation when you have a lot of good players on your roster.”

Who knows how his role will be affected with Harden’s broken right thumb? He won’t likely be suiting up for 35 minutes a night as he did in Thursday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, for instance, as Mitchell and Evan Mobley missed that game, too. Max Strus appears to be on the right track to be back at some point as well.

With Mitchell dealing with a bothersome groin, Ellis fracturing his left index finger, Schroder spraining his left ankle, and Dean Wade hurting his right ankle, Tyson will have to revert to his pre-trade duties. It’s a constant push-and-pull.

But whatever is required of him, Tyson will put his head down and do whatever he’s told to help the Cavs stack victories.

“I feel like it’s just part of the NBA,” Tyson added. “Unless you’re a superstar, your role’s gonna change, and I feel like the best role players adapt to that. That’s one thing that I’mma have to learn to do. I’m okay with it, right, because obviously, I just want to win. James being here, he wants to win.

“I want to be a piece to help him win that and get that ring; the city of Cleveland, Donovan, everybody. I want to be a piece to help them.”

The post Donovan Mitchell reveals perfect message he gave Cavs’ second-year Rising Star appeared first on ClutchPoints.

However, the Cavs’ Jarrett Allen came incredibly close to tying the game with a late layup that was contested by two players. Dennis Schroder initially ran inside the paint before his missed layup was eventually grabbed by Allen, who launched his shot with less than a second on the clock and the Cavs trailing at 118-116, per a post on X by ClutchPoints.

SO CLOSE!

Jarrett Allen’s game-tying shot was still in his hands as time expired

Bucks win 118-116!
pic.twitter.com/3YHM4E1bgi

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 26, 2026

However, the ball was released a moment too late and the Bucks were awarded the win. The Cavs were without both Donovan Mitchell and James Harden in what was an injury-ravaged matchup.

Allen had a positive game, top-scoring with 27 points and also grabbing 11 boards. This was the fifth consecutive game from which Allen returned with a double-double, and his 9th in 10 games since his monster 40-point performance against the Portland Trail Blazers at the start of the month.

He was heavily flanked by Dennis Schroder, who was the second-highest scorer on the night with 26 points and five assists. The Cavs also saw Keon Ellis come off the bench to post 14 points, while Thomas Bryant added 11.

Milwaukee, however, was the better shooting team on the night, producing an impressive 54.5% accuracy from the field and 42.2% from beyond the arc. Both AJ Green and Kyle Kuzma converted five of their 10 three-point attempts, with Myles Turner also going 3-5 from the three-point zone.

The Bucks went up to 26-31 for the season and will now face the New York Knicks. Meanwhile, the Cavs will visit the Detroit Pistons and drop to 4th in the Eastern Conference with a 37-23 record, now trailing the Knicks by a game.

The post Cavs’ Jarrett Allen buzzer-beater waived off as Kevin Porter Jr., Bucks pull off upset appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Here’s everything we know about James Harden and Donovan Mitchell’s playing status vs. the Bucks, in addition to their teammates.

*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV. Get Access | Save $30)

James Harden, Donovan Mitchell’s injury statuses for Cavs vs. Bucks

When it comes to the question of whether James Harden and Donovan Mitchell are playing tonight in the Cavs vs. Bucks matchup, the answer is no.

Cleveland announced this afternoon that Harden suffered a non-displaced fracture in the distal phalanx of his right hand on Tuesday night against the New York Knicks. Luckily for both him and the team, it is his non-shooting-hand thumb. It appears he is planning to play through the injury, but he’ll be out for the wine and gold against Milwaukee.

Mitchell is listed as out with a right groin strain, while Mobley is also sidelined to manage his left calf. With the Detroit Pistons ahead on Friday on the road, and the Cavs finishing up a five-game-in-seven-night stretch, it isn’t surprising that both are sitting this one out.

Recovering from left foot surgery, Max Strus has yet to make his season debut, but Kenny Atkinson provided an encouraging update on his status moving forward.

The Bucks will be without Giannis Antetokounmpo for the 13th consecutive game due to a calf injury.

Cavs injury report

James Harden: OUT (right thumb fracture)

Donovan Mitchell: OUT (right groin strain)

Evan Mobley: OUT (left calf injury maintenance)

Max Strus: OUT (left foot surgery)

Tristan Enaruna: OUT (two-way G League assignment)

Darius Brown II: OUT (two-way G League assignment)

Riley Minix: OUT (two-way G League assignment)

Bucks injury report

Giannis Antetokounmpo: OUT (right calf strain)

Alex Antetokounmpo: OUT (two-way G League assignment)

Taurean Prince: OUT (neck surgery)

The post Are James Harden, Donovan Mitchell playing tonight? Cavs vs. Bucks injury report appeared first on ClutchPoints.

“I watched him work on the court today,” Atkinson said Monday night. “It was really trending positive. A lot of movement, contact with coaches, change of direction. So I’ll just give you that. What that means — when do you start playing, all that — I can’t give you that. I haven’t even asked.

“I was just very pleased and surprised, like, man, he’s starting to pick it up now.”

This is the first instance in which Atkinson mentions that Strus has graduated from non-contact court work and conditioning to working against contact. Although it is only against the coaching staff, it is a significant development that foreshadows a return.

Strus has yet to play a game this season after suffering a left foot Jones fracture in late August, just weeks before training camp. The Cavs’ last official statement on the injury came on January 6, which indicated more time was needed for it to heal. Strus had a follow-up evaluation four weeks later, but aside from Atkinson insisting on his progression, the team hasn’t issued another update since.

“The hardest part for him is just being patient,” Cavs president Koby Altman said in his post-trade-deadline Zoom call with the media in early February. “This injury was a horrible offseason injury. It’s taken a long time to heal, but he’s progressing. He’s getting back on the floor, and we’re excited to have him for this stretch run, but we certainly have been taking our time to make sure when he gets back, he’s 100 percent.

“I know no one’s more excited than him to get back. No one’s pushing more than him to get back. But at the same time, we want to make sure that he is a hundred percent when he is. And I still don’t have a timetable for you on that, unfortunately.​”

Atkinson shared recently that Cleveland doesn’t have a target number of games for Strus to play to ramp up for the postseason. He does expect him to suit up in the regular season.

“Getting Max back at any time before the playoffs would be a huge bonus,” Atkinson said. “I mean, he missed a ton of time last year with the ankle. He’s not 22, right? A guy with that experience and the way he works in the weight room. Of course, he’d love to have a little runway where he gets his rhythm. But, as long as we get him for the playoff run, I think that’s a win for us. He’s got so much experience. Obviously, he had a really good playoffs last year.”

It’ll be interesting to see how the Cavs’ rotation shakes out when Strus does get back on the floor. There is plenty of optionality for Atkinson to go with alongside the revamped core of James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. Guys like Dean Wade, Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson, and Keon Ellis have proven their abilities to step up when needed. Unfortunately, somebody will have to get knocked down a peg because of the depth of the team.

“Obviously, thrilled that we’re getting healthier. We’re almost there,” Atkinson said last week. “Max, being the kind of last piece to that, but almost whole. So I think it’s figuring out the rotations and lineups. That’s the biggest thing. And also, when you have everybody healthy, obviously, minutes are distributed differently. People who are playing a lot might not play as much.

“There’s a lot of moving pieces with that, which we all know is part of it. And everybody has to sacrifice and play their role. But listen, it’s a good problem to have, with the talent we have. So, excited to see James with the new guys that we’re integrating.”

The post Max Strus’ first Cavs contact workout shines positive light on injury return appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Harden, who is 36 years old, is said to be dealing with a fractured thumb. The organization announced his injury. He is considered questionable for Wednesday’s contest against the Milwaukee Bucks, and an update on his status will be provided before the start of that game.

“Cavaliers guard James Harden injured his right thumb in last night’s 109-94 win over New York,” said the franchise. “A postgame examination by the Cavaliers’ medical staff, followed by X-rays taken today, confirmed a non-displaced fracture of the distal phalanx. Harden will undergo treatment and continued evaluation and will be listed as questionable for tonight’s game against Milwaukee. An update on his status will be provided as appropriate.”

Despite the injury, the 11-time All-Star still played 32 minutes in the Cavaliers’ win over the Knicks. He ended the contest with 20 points, two rebounds, and four assists while shooting 44.4% from the field and 57.1% from beyond the three-point line. He was one of the main contributors in the contest, even after suffering an injured thumb.

Although he is dealing with a fracture, it’s a good sign that Harden is still deemed questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Bucks. His status suggests that, even if he does miss time, it could be a short stint. Either way, the Cavaliers will monitor the injury closely. Especially considering James Harden was brought in to help the club be more competitive in the playoffs.

The post Cavs’ James Harden suffered fractured thumb vs. Knicks appeared first on ClutchPoints.

For nearly his entire career, Harden has made life so much better for his pick-and-roll partners. Clint Capela played his best basketball alongside Harden. So did Ivica Zubac. And now, Allen is following suit. Since the Cavs brought The Beard in, Allen has put up dominant averages of 20.4 points and 11.3 rebounds on 76.7 percent shooting from the field — numbers that are, suffice to say, downright insane.

The Cavs have been playing exceptional basketball as of late, and Allen’s improved play as a result of Harden’s arrival has been a huge reason as to why that has been the case. Cleveland did expedite their contending timeline by bringing in Harden, but that gambit seems to be a smart one considering the early returns.

Allen put up another double-double, 19 points and 10 rebounds, in a 109-94 win for the Cavs over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night.

James Harden has made life easier for the Cavs

If there’s one thing that Harden has going for him, it’s that his track record of excellence in the regular season is nearly unmatched. He is a regular season wins machine, and the Cavs have been humming ever since they brought him in via trade.

Harden reduces the burden on Donovan Mitchell to carry the offense. He should make life easier for Allen and Evan Mobley in terms of getting good looks. And he reduces the need for Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson to rely on more inconsistent players to try and partner with Mitchell in the backcourt.

The post Cavs fans can’t ignore Jarrett Allen’s unreal numbers since James Harden arrived appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Now that Darius Garland is in Los Angeles, it appears the microscope has zoomed in that much further on the 24-year-old forward. People tend to crank that dial when the Cavs lose, and especially on national television.

Though he had a catch-and-drive dunk and made a jump hook, Mobley missed a couple of threes in the last 3:20 of the game when his team was still within striking distance. And despite holding Chet Holmgren to an average scoring game, OKC’s power forward snagged 15 rebounds compared to the two that Cleveland’s did. They weren’t head-to-head for every minute of the game, but that is an alarming discrepancy.

All 13 of Oklahoma City's Thunder offensive rebounds from Sunday.

Where do you think the blame lies? pic.twitter.com/eXb19FU7GD

— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) February 23, 2026

Mobley deserves criticism for that portion of the contest. Even if he’s out of position on most Cavs possessions, due to a switch-heavy scheme defensively, recording two total rebounds at that size is simply unacceptable. Track the ball and grab it. When it’s in your hands, be strong with it, keep it high, and don’t let the opponent wrestle it away from you.

Should he actually shoulder the blame for the majority of the Thunder’s extra opportunities? No. There were three instances, maybe four, where Mobley could’ve done a better job on the defensive glass that weren’t related to back-iron misses that found OKC’s perimeter players far from the paint.

• At the 7:26 mark of the second quarter, he was staying home on Jaylin Williams to ensure he didn’t get a three off; however, when Jared McCain misfired on his floater, he waited just a tick too long to get in the mix with his teammates, who should’ve come up with it themselves because of a 3-on-2 advantage.
• Similarly, at 9:19 in the fourth, Mobley didn’t want to let a red-hot Cason Wallace get a free look in the left corner, so he tried to time a contest on Holmgren from in between as he drove; it forced a miss that rolled off the rim, but neither he nor Donovan Mitchell came up with it.
• Though with a solid position, Mobley did get outmuscled by Hartenstein at the 2:30 mark of the final frame, which allowed Lu Dort to smack it back to the top of the floor.

Evan Mobley’s oft-changing Cavs responsibilities

Let’s get away from the rebounding thing for just a minute and shift gears to Mobley’s overarching offensive game. The Cavs put the ball in his hands early in a point-forward type of role in the first few weeks of the year. It was experimental because that’s what you do in the regular season. He was bringing it up and initiating, and when he didn’t have it, he was stretching the floor. It was more dribble drive, isolation, self-creation, and kicking out than it was off-ball work.

Then, as the campaign progressed, Cleveland wanted to put Mobley in better positions to succeed, with less handling, like in 2024-25. That meant utilizing him as a middle-floor hub, putting him in screen-and-slips, and getting him closer to the bucket. Mobley boomed in early December, recording four consecutive double-double performances before going down with a left calf injury. He was sidelined for a short five games, then returned on Christmas.

After finding his footing again, Mobley enjoyed a solid month of January, which included the best game of his season. He produced 29 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 blocks in 35 minutes against the Sacramento Kings. He didn’t turn it over once and went 13-of-24 from the field. Unfortunately, after another solid showing in Game 2 of a home-and-home series with the Orlando Magic, Mobley experienced more soreness in the same calf. He missed time from January 28 all the way through the NBA All-Star break.

Returning to a much different team, James Harden is now his point guard, which changes the calculus for what Mobley needs to do. At best, on this team, he is the third scoring option. That was different just a few months ago, so there’s an adjustment that needs to be made on his end (and Harden’s).

Jarrett Allen is already the quintessential pick-and-roll partner for Harden, so where does that leave Mobley? Well, for one, Cleveland needs to get him in the dunker spot right this second. With the gravity that both the ball-handler and roller carry, there should be plenty of opportunities for him to capitalize on. Particularly, alley-oops from either Harden or Allen should be commonplace.

Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson mentioned Mobley’s popping can be used as a weapon, too. He sure as heck isn’t shooting the three well right now, which might be due to a lack of lift from the calf, but he is still a confidently capable mid-range shooter. He just has to take them if the opportunity presents itself. Atkinson also sees opportunities in the double-big lineup for him to find mismatches on smaller forwards and guards early. Harden can be trusted to feed him when that happens.

We’ll see Mobley together with Mitchell without Harden and Allen on the floor, too. Staggering allows for optionality in terms of style of play. Those two had plenty of success last year and established good chemistry, which should allow for both to succeed as usual. Adding Schroder to that mix also helps because his downhill nature forces defenses to stop the ball.

Painting the whole picture

So many are casually omitting Mobley’s defensive acumen when evaluating his game. Being a top-tier deterrent that shuts off driving lanes, sprints to the corners to contest, and alters shots all in one possession isn’t making highlight reels unless you’re a coach. It’s a tough business to be in because, in that department, Mobley is one of one. Find another player at his size who covers that much ground, switches seamlessly, and recovers as well as he does.

Alas, noise comes with the territory of making a lot of money. Mobley has had a down offensive season, and that shows in his season-long production numbers. Does that mean he has plateaued as a basketball player? Not at all. He’ll turn 25 in mid-June. Judging by Cleveland’s push and pull with his offensive responsibilities, a bothersome calf that held him out twice, and readjusting to life with a new floor general, it makes sense that Mobley doesn’t have it all figured out at this point.

However, the Cavs have put the timeline into overdrive. They were basically crowned after an undefeated post-trade-deadline stretch. Garland, his old Core Four two-man-game partner, is gone to the West Coast. Veterans are now in the building, toughening up the locker room to a greater extent so that the team is truly ready for a playoff run.

Hopes are high to the extreme for this fresh-faced wine-and-gold bunch, so anything short of greatness will receive a vitriolic response, whether it’s long-term warranted or a momentary reaction in the heat of the battle. That means Mobley will have to acclimate quickly to what is being asked of him and buy into a role that has changed once again.

Whether it’s fair or not, it’s just the reality of the situation.

The post Why Cavs’ win-now James Harden trade put more pressure on Evan Mobley than ever appeared first on ClutchPoints.

“Recovery was great,” Harden said postgame. “Don’t turn the ball over, get a shot on the rim, and then defensively, get back, stay in front of your man, contest the shot. We’re good enough. It’s just us doing it every single night. This is a different team. Even without Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander], without J-Dub [Jalen Williams], they’re still a really good defensive team, clearly.”

“Probably the best defense this league has seen in a while,” Sam Merrill added. “Even with a couple of their leading scorers out, they still have so many good defensive players. You just get that avalanche to start the game; the same thing happened last year. Obviously, we responded much better this time. Got to figure out the turnovers. But it’s not just the way they defend. Even without SGA and Jalen Williams, they really move the ball. They cut, they pass. Obviously, they shot the ball really well today.”

The Thunder made 14 of their 22 three-ball attempts in the first half, led by Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, and Jaylin Williams. The Cavs got into a better rhythm in the second quarter and hung around enough to create havoc with defensive pressure spearheaded by Ellis and Schroder, and the halftime gap was only nine. Merrill felt that the Cavs made the simple plays to counter the home team’s initial punch.

“I feel like we got a little sped up to start. Spacing probably wasn’t great to start,” Merrill said. “You still want to play with pace, obviously, but doing so by getting in the right spots and not playing too fast, I think, is what helped.”

Cleveland battled back to take the lead multiple times midway through the third quarter, yet wasn’t able to keep OKC at bay.

“Missed some easy looks, had some crucial defensive rebounds that we couldn’t get. I’m not really concerned about that start,” Donovan Mitchell said. “The biggest part is once we got to that point where it was 67-67, that’s to me like, ‘Alright, how do we fix it from there?'”

“I did feel like we had a couple of bad offensive possessions that got them transition buckets,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson added. “Our shot quality wasn’t great. I blame it probably more on the offense than the defense. With this team, you can’t give them possessions, whether it’s a turnover or a bad shot. They’re No. 1 in the league in transition efficiency. They cause turnovers, which equal layups. And if you take bad shots, they go down, and they score.”

Though Atkinson didn’t like some of those possessions in the latter part of the game, Cleveland still shot it at 48.3% from the field and outscored the Thunder 56-40 in the paint as a whole. The snag is that OKC scored 31 points off 17 giveaways overall at the beginning. The Cavs had 20 points apiece from Mitchell, Merrill, and Harden, but the bigs weren’t as involved against the Thunder frontcourt, likely because of the threat of their passing-lane defense.

The Cavs’ recurring problem surfaces at the wrong time

Too often, especially in the final period, a familiar issue reared its head.

“I felt like they got a couple of key offensive rebounds when we’d get a stop,” Atkinson said. “We’ve got to clean that up. To me, that’s our Achilles heel right now, defensive rebounding. They got some big ones at the end. Best team in the league, extra possessions. It really hurts you.”

“I think just the rebounding we’ve got to work on,” Mitchell said. “That’s been a consistent theme. We’ve got to rebound and give ourselves chances to get out and get there. Once we got back [from the deficit], we were just giving them extra opportunities. Some guys made shots, credit to them, they don’t necessarily always make shots. But also, it’s easier to make threes when you don’t get the rebound. Those are the things that I’m focused on. We’ll look at it on the film and be better.”

If you were to look at the stat sheet, the boards’ battle was even at 44 apiece. However, the discrepancy between Chet Holmgren’s 15 and Evan Mobley’s 2 sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the Jarrett Allen-Isaiah Hartenstein matchup that favored the wine and gold (13-7).

It was the timing of when OKC kept it alive or the pivotal points in the game where the Cavs needed to come up with the basketball that hurt them. Gang rebounding needed to be better in those situations, especially when Mobley and Allen were switching near the perimeter.

“We missed some open looks, which happens, but we couldn’t get boards,” Mitchell said. “Hartenstein, I think we were one up or tied the game, and they scored like six straight points, two of them off Hartenstein’s floaters. Little things like that. Or, we play a great possession, the ball’s on the floor, JA gets backdoored because we’re trying to scramble.

“It’s little things like that on top of the rebounding. When you’re against a team like that, every little thing matters so much. We’re not sitting here with our head down. We’ve got stuff we can clean up, and we’ll figure it out and be better.”

Ultimately, there’s no finger-pointing after the new-look version of Cleveland lost its first game.

“We did a lot of positive things,” Mitchell said. “We’re still figuring things out as a group. Even in that fourth quarter, figuring out, ‘Okay, is it me or Ev coming to set the screen? Is it JA? Is it Sam? Sam’s the roller, what are you doing?’ It’s a lot of things to figure out. At the end of the day, not hanging our heads on this one. This is part of it. We weren’t gonna go 29-0, but we still have stuff to clean up and fix.”

“Listen, this is not an excuse, but this is a tough schedule: 3-in-4, noon game,” Atkinson said. “On the road, it makes it a little different. It is what it is, and we’ve got to overcome that, but tough schedule game. I’m proud of the way the guys fought back and gave us a chance.”

While coming up short in this one stings now, it ultimately could pay off if Cleveland uses it the right way.

“This is what, our sixth game together,” Harden added. “I think it’s bigger than them. I think it’s on us every single night, no matter who we’re playing. It’s a lot of things we’re still figuring out — rotations, lineups, all that stuff. Once we get to that and figure out how we’re playing and the lineups and all that, then we’ll be much better. But credit to them, they played a great game today, and we’ve still got some work to do.

“Games and reps. You see this team. They’ve had failures in the postseason a few years and they finally get over the hump. All of this takes time, so these games are very valuable. We have to cherish them like they’re practices in games because it’s our sixth game. Lesson learned. Watch film, get better, and be ready to go for next game.”

The post How the Cavs ‘Achilles heel’ doomed them in Thunder loss in OKC appeared first on ClutchPoints.

In regards to who would defend Mitchell and Harden, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault revealed that Lu Dort’s defensive assignment on Mitchell won a 6-5 vote among his coaching staff. Cason Wallace spent most of the game in front of Harden. Mitchell scored 20 points but it took him nearly 20 attempts (9-for-19) to get there, as he was 0-for-6 from deep.

Harden tallied 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting, nine assists, and five rebounds. Wallace finished with 20 points along a career-high 10 assists as he recorded his first double-double, and three steals. Isaiah Joe’s 22 points led seven Thunder players in double figures, including Dort (12 points, two steals), and Oklahoma City’s entire starting lineup.

The defending champions’ stifling defense forced 17 Cavs turnovers, which the Thunder converted into 31 points en route to an eight-point victory.

Cason Wallace reflects on his elite performance in Thunder win

Thunder guard Cason Wallace understood the assignment ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Cavs. Before facing off against one of the league’s highest scoring backcourt in Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. And while the Thunder’s newest guards in Jared McCain and Nikola Topic acclimate to their new surroundings, Wallace has helped fill the void left in the wake of losing All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Ajay Mitchell, and Alex Caruso.

After the game, Wallace spoke to the media about his approaching ahead of the Thunder’s matinee matchup against the Cavs.

“I come into the game knowing I have a high-level opponent that I have to guard, you know, match minutes with him,” Wallace said. “I got to slow him down first. Then, offensively, we got so many guys that are good at making plays. So, I can make some plays myself on offense, but those guys help me out a lot on that end.”

Cason Wallace on Thunder’s offense and OKC’s defense against Cavs’ Mitchell & Harden: “It felt like we came out hot had a little bit of momentum early in the game… I gotta slow him down first.

Then, offensively, we got so many guys that are good at making play” pic.twitter.com/U65bg0x2bR

— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) February 22, 2026

The Thunder will travel to face the Raptors on Tuesday.

The post How Thunder decided who would guard Donovan Mitchell, James Harden in thrilling win vs. Cavs appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Hayes, the No. 7 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, spent over three seasons with the Detroit Pistons before they released him midway through the 2023-24 campaign. He signed with the Brooklyn Nets last season, spending most of his time with the team’s G League affiliate before a short NBA stint on a 10-day contract.

The 6-foot-5 point guard averaged 9.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists on 42/38/83 shooting splits in 27.0 minutes per game across six appearances with Brooklyn. However, the Nets chose not to re-sign Hayes at the conclusion of his 10-day deal.

Killian Hayes signing 10-day contract with Kings after Cavs G League stint

Hayes turned down EuroLeague interest this offseason and signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers ahead of training camp. The Cavaliers waived him and assigned him to their G League affiliate. He impressed during his G League stint, averaging 22.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.6 steals on .474/.318/.804 shooting splits across 19 appearances.

Hayes should have an opportunity to prove his worth with the reeling Kings, who recently shut down Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis and De’Andre Hunter for the season.

With LaVine sidelined, Russell Westbrook has served as Sacramento’s starting point guard in recent games. Devin Carter has filled the point guard minutes with the second unit.

The Kings will travel to face the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.

The post Kings adding former No. 7 overall pick amid historic losing streak appeared first on ClutchPoints.

During ESPN’s Inside the NBA broadcast Friday night, Barkley announced he is no longer picking New York to come out of the East.

“I’m changing my pick Ernie. I told y’all I thought the Knicks was coming out of the East… The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming out of the Eastern Conference,” Barkley said.

Cleveland has surged up the standings following its trade with the Los Angeles Clippers to acquire James Harden in exchange for Darius Garland at this season’s deadline. The Cavaliers extended their winning streak to seven games with a 118-113 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, improving to 36-21 on the season. Cleveland now sits third in the Eastern Conference, just one game behind the Boston Celtics for the second seed.

Since arriving in Cleveland, Harden has averaged 18.4 points, 8.6 assists, five rebounds and one steal per game while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 48.1 percent from three-point range across five contests in 31.8 minutes per game.

“The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming out of the eastern conference,” – Charles Barkley pic.twitter.com/xF7XkMXzuG

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) February 21, 2026

Charles Barkley shifts East pick as Cavaliers surge ahead of Knicks matchup

Harden’s presence has coincided with increased production from center Jarrett Allen. Over the same five-game span, Allen has averaged 22.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and one block while shooting 76.3 percent from the field in 30 minutes per contest. For the season, the 27-year-old is averaging 14.9 points and 8.4 rebounds while shooting 62.7 percent across 45 games.

New York, meanwhile, has experienced a strong stretch of its own despite Barkley’s shift. The Knicks went 10-3 from late January into early February, including an eight-game winning streak. However, they slipped to the fourth seed after a 126-111 loss to the NBA-leading Detroit Pistons, dropping to 35-21 on the year.

The two Eastern Conference contenders are set to meet during New York’s upcoming three-game road trip. The Knicks visit Cleveland next Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET on Peacock.

With the Cavaliers riding momentum and climbing the standings, Barkley’s revised prediction underscores how rapidly the Eastern Conference hierarchy has shifted in the weeks following the trade deadline.

The post Charles Barkley drops the Knicks as his favorite to win the East appeared first on ClutchPoints.

And while Mitchell produced his 100th 30-point game for the Cavs against the Charlotte Hornets, his post-match comments will put an even bigger smile on fans’ faces.

Donovan on his 100th, 30-point game as a Cavalier:

"Hopefully I get 100, 200 more, that's the goal. … I love being here, I love being a part of this group, love being part of this organization and this city. To see the crowd we have on the road, a lot of Cavs fans. Before I… pic.twitter.com/9e4tXeWx81

— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) February 21, 2026

“Hopefully I get 100, 200 more, that’s the goal. … I love being here, I love being a part of this group, love being part of this organization and this city. To see the crowd we have on the road, a lot of Cavs fans. Before I got here, I didn’t realize how many people were actually from Ohio. To hear that everywhere I go is special,” Mitchell explained per a post on X by RealCavsFans.com.

The 29-year-old has established himself as one of the best scorers in the NBA, averaging 28.8 points (career-high), 5.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. The win marked Cleveland’s seventh straight victory and 12th in their last 13 games.

The defining storyline was Mitchell’s fourth-quarter takeover. The All-Star guard finished with 32 points, including 13 in the final period,

And while Mitchell sealed the game, Jarrett Allen’s interior dominance was equally important. Allen delivered 25 points and 14 rebounds while Harden returned with 18 points and eight assists.

For the Hornets, Kon Knueppel delivered 33 points performance with seven three-pointers, taking his total made threes to 193 for the season, the second-most by a rookie in the NBA. Knueppel’s dominant shooting even allowed the Hornets back into the game despite trailing by 14 points after the first half.

Still, the lack of support led to the Hornets losing, with their second-highest scorer Brandon Miller finishing with 18 points. The Cavs’ offensive brilliance proved too much in the end, helping them to their seventh straight win.

The post Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell drops new goal after 100th career 30-point game appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Oladipo has averaged 14.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists,  and 1.8 steals in 26 games with the Milwaukee Bucks’ G League team this season. He shot 40.0% from the field on 12.7 attempts in just under 29 minutes a night. The longtime veteran is still showing signs of athleticism and scoring ability, as well as defensive chops, despite his injury history.

With a quick early-October stint in China, Oladipo faced NBA competition during the preseason. In three games with the Guangzhou Loong Lions, he scored 58 points and recorded eight steals. The 33-year-old last appeared in the league in late April 2023 as a part of the Miami Heat.

“I don’t believe in age, bro,” Victor Oladipo told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview on October 10. “I know the world might tell me I’m 33, but I don’t feel 33. I know I’ve been through a lot, and you’ve got a decision to make once you go through a lot. It’ll make you or break you, and I choose to be made. So I’m just doing my best. I’m challenging myself every day, taking it one day at a time, and enjoying the marathon.”

In a separate move, the Cavs inked Brown to a two-way deal while waiving the recently-acquired Miller.

Brown has appeared in 34 games with the Charge, averaging 12.4 points, 9.7 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.2 steals in 33 minutes per contest with .437/.400/.825 shooting splits. A floor general for Cleveland, he broke a single-game franchise record with 22 assists, just one away from tying a G League all-time record.

The 26-year-old Utah State alum has spent the last two summer leagues with the Cavs and was on the team’s training camp roster.

Miller appeared in six games for the Charge, starting two of them. He is coming off a 31-point effort against the Noblesville Boom, where he shot 13-of-20 from the field, pulled down four rebounds, and recorded two assists. The 25-year-old swingman also had two steals and two blocks in the Cleveland victory.

The post Cavs add new 2-way player after G League affiliate Charge trade involving Victor Oladipo appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Here’s everything we know about Evan Mobley’s playing status vs. the Hornets.

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Evan Mobley’s injury status vs. Hornets

When it comes to the question of whether Evan Mobley is playing tonight vs. the Hornets, the answer is no.

In his first game back from his second left calf injury, Mobley produced 10 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and a block in 19 minutes of action. It was the first game he played with Cleveland’s new additions. Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson felt that he showed signs of rustiness in his initial shift on Thursday, then found it.

“I thought his second stint was better, got a little more groove,” Atkinson said. “Defense was better, but you know how it is. He obviously is on a minutes restriction. So it was not easy for him to get into a flow.”

“Felt good to be back out there playing with some of the new guys as well, getting a connection with them, growing that connection,” Mobley said. “I think it’s a good first game to come out to… I think we have a great team. A lot of new guys came in, whole new team, but I think everyone’s clicking very well. Everyone’s jelling very well. Dennis [Schroder], how he can just get downhill, Keon [Ellis], his defense, and James Harden, obviously. I like our pieces.”

Nae’Qwan Tomlin is likely to go for the Cavs after missing the Brooklyn game.

Charlotte’s Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate are still serving suspension time for their roles in an altercation with the Detroit Pistons.

The Hornets are still waiting to see Coby White make his debut for the team since his acquisition from the Chicago Bulls, as he continues to deal with a left calf strain. Charlotte will be without veteran Grant Williams and rookie Liam McNeely as well.

Cavs injury report

Nae’Qwan Tomlin: PROBABLE (left calf soreness)

Evan Mobley: OUT (left calf injury management)

Max Strus: OUT (left foot surgery)

Riley Minix: OUT (two-way G League assignment)

Hornets injury report

Miles Bridges: OUT (league suspension)

Moussa Diabate: OUT (league suspension)

Coby White: OUT (left calf strain)

Grant Williams: OUT (right knee injury management)

Liam McNeely: OUT (left ankle sprain)

The post Is Evan Mobley playing tonight? Cavs vs. Hornets injury report appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Garland’s name had been in a bevy of rumors leading up to the Cavaliers’ trade at the deadline, with Los Angeles being the winner of the sweepstakes. Speaking with Andscape, Garland would speak on how a trade away from Cleveland was inevitable and how the current toe injury “had a factor in it.”

“It was going to happen regardless, either at the [trade] deadline or this summer. [My agent] Rich [Paul] had that conversation with me last summer,” Garland said. “They didn’t know if I was going to be healthy for this season, which I will be. But they thought that James had something that I didn’t, I believe. He has experience in playoffs and All-Star numbers still to this day, even though he wasn’t an All-Star this year. But yeah, they want to win right now. They have a group, too. And I guess I really wasn’t part of the plan.”

Darius Garland calls the Clippers a “really good situation”

With the hopes of Garland making the Clippers compete better this season and beyond, there’s no denying his talent as a star point guard in the NBA. Garland hasn’t played in a game since Jan. 14 with the Cavaliers, as he speaks about how excited he is to be with Los Angeles, calling it a “really good situation.”

“But now, I’m over here in a really good situation. I have the ball in my hand a lot more, where I could do me a little bit more. I have another superstar [Leonard] next to me. I can go get it as well,” Garland said.

Garland is looking to return soon and help the Clippers improve as the team has a 27-28 record, ninth in the West.

The post Darius Garland confirms Cavs’ skepticism of injury history, health amid Clippers trade appeared first on ClutchPoints.

“They did their thing before,” Schroder told ClutchPoints. “We’ve just tried to chip in, we’ve just tried to make sure that we are really, really locked in every single game. It don’t matter who we play; we don’t shy away from the moment, shy away from good teams. Just playing our type of basketball and trying to improve every single day. I think it’s been working.

“We just want to get to our peak in April. I think that’s where it matters the most, and whatever we have to do, there’s steps. We have to do it every single day. Everybody’s got to buy in, and that’s what makes it so special right now that we’re playing at such a high level.”

Cavs All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell noticed the revamped mentality in the building in the team’s first practice post-All-Star break. Harden, Schroder, and Ellis have helped the guys understand the task at hand.

“When you bring those guys in, they bring a level of professionalism that they’ve been in the league,” Mitchell said. “That’s what I’ve been around since I was in the league, and that’s kind of what it is. Just understanding, ‘Hey, we got a 5-in-7 coming up. Yeah, we are new and all that, but we also come in there and say, ‘Hey, it’s time to go.’”

“I think we handled that professionally,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson added. “I know guys worked; normally, it’s take three, four, five days off. This is more like… I called it a working vacation. We need to keep our bodies moving, make sure we got in the gym. I think most of the guys did that. That’s part of a professional approach. But also, like, man, we’ve got some catching up to do here, and we’ve got a sprint here at the end. So this is a good start, good first game out of the box.”

Since coming over in a trade with Ellis from the Sacramento Kings, Schroder has imposed his will defensively and shown his aggressiveness in getting downhill. Atkinson loves the contrast off the bench compared to a bigger starting five. The 13-year veteran’s biggest impact doesn’t come in the stat sheet for this particular group or at this point in his career; it’s all about how he plays (and Ellis, too) — dogged, unrelenting, and with an edge.

“I don’t know how many deflections those guys had tonight between them,” Atkinson said. “Keon, I’m not sure I’ve seen that in the league. Like, he can get in a passing lane; he had three blocks tonight. I knew that was part of his statistical profile, but to see it live is impressive. We throw Dennis in there and Sam [Merrill] and Keon, [and] it’s almost like a different look, with our speed and aggressiveness defensively. So, I’m really excited about that second unit because of those guys.”

“Dennis, he just picks up the ball,” added Evan Mobley, who played in his first game since January 26. “Small guard, I think, can turn people and make offenses start later in the shot clock. And Keon, I mean, he’s just everywhere. Today, he got a corner-three block; you don’t see that much. His offense, he dunked on like two people. He got a block and then saved it on top of the guy. He just does a lot of little things that you don’t really see.”

As nice as it is to see this kind of success, there’s always room for improvement, and the Cavs only have so many days to practice in the second half of the season. What’s it going to take to maintain the momentum that Cleveland has built since retooling its roster?

“Enjoying it,” Schroder told ClutchPoints. “Enjoy every single game, every single practice, making sure the chemistry is right. We enjoy each other. I think that’s the most important because, if you have great chemistry on and off the court, it goes a long way.

“We’ve got so much talent with this group and high-character guys, I’m not really worried about basketball. Coming together as a group and as a unit, I think it’s gonna make a big, big difference — especially in the playoffs when we go through hard times, and it’s really physical, and the mentality piece of it. I think when we find that, we’re gonna be really, really good.”

Dennis Schroder and Jordi Fernandez’s appreciation for each other is mutual

Having spent just 23 games together in Brooklyn and crossed paths internationally, Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez is well aware of Schroder’s expertise.

“Dennis is the ultimate pro,” Fernandez told ClutchPoints in his pregame press conference. “We know he’s been wearing different jerseys, but the reality is, teams want him. Teams want him to win. Everywhere he goes, he’s, for the most part, been part of success. I think that’s very important.

“Not just in the NBA, but also with the German national team, and I’ve had the chance to [coach] against him. I had a lot of respect for him when I [coached] against him, and even more respect because I’ve had the chance to coach him. And not just the player, but also the person and his family. I think the Cavs are very fortunate to have him.”

In 2024, he averaged 18.4 points, 6.6 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.1 steals on .452/387/.889 shooting splits in just under 34 minutes per game before the Golden State Warriors traded for him. Schroder is appreciative of the short time he spent with Fernandez.

“Just a guy who understands what I bring to the table,” Schroder told ClutchPoints. “He made me feel comfortable. Telling is one thing, but meaning it, really making sure that the players [have] got the confidence to really play and be comfortable in their positions means a lot. He did that for me.

“I played one of my best seasons there, half-seasons, whatever you want to call it. But I really liked him as a coach. A European guy as well, we’ve seen FIBA, and we’ve seen NBA side, and it’s been great.”

The post Exclusive: Dennis Schroder focusing on Cavs’ unity over basketball to help pave championship path appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The game marked the Nets’ NBA-leading eighth wire-to-wire loss of the season. Brooklyn trailed by as much as 43 points.

“It was everything. The physicality, intensity, all those things we didn’t match,” Fernandez said. “Their physicality, their intensity, was as it should be for a winning team. We were not even close.”

With starting center Nic Claxton sidelined, the Nets had no answers for the Cavaliers on either end during the lopsided loss. They shot 30-of-87 (34.5 percent) from the field and 14-of-49 (28.6 percent) from three.

Brooklyn offered little resistance defensively as the Cavs shot 44-of-86 (51.2 percent) with seven players reaching double figures.

Nets dominated by Cavs during blowout loss that raises position in tank race

Brooklyn’s lack of engagement was evident from the opening tip. Following a pair of miscommunications on their first two possessions, Fernandez called a timeout 40 seconds into the game in an attempt to wake his team up. He had little success in doing so.

“It was two mistakes that were completely controllable, and it just tells me about the readiness of our players. It was the lack of effort and readiness, and I’m not going to let it fly. And we didn’t wake up,” Fernandez said. “We know we’re better, our standards are much higher than this. Now we’ve got to move on to the next one, and hold everybody accountable, myself included, and go and fight better [on Friday in Oklahoma City].”

Michael Porter Jr. led the Nets with 14 points, five rebounds and two assists on 5-of-13 shooting. Ochai Agbaji added 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting off the bench during his second game with Brooklyn. Danny Wolf chipped in 11 points and seven assists on 4-of-12 shooting, while Egor Demin tallied 10 points on 3-of-8 shooting.

Donovan Mitchell had a game-high 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting for Cleveland, while James Harden added 16 points and nine assists on 6-of-8 shooting.

The loss comes with a silver lining for the Nets, who moved into a tie with the Washington Wizards for fourth place in the draft lottery standings. Brooklyn is tied in the win column and two back in the loss column of the Indiana Pacers and New Orleans Pelicans, who are tied for second.

Fernandez’s squad will be back in action on Friday during a road matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The post Nets’ Jordi Fernandez has blunt reaction to blowout loss to Cavs after All-Star break appeared first on ClutchPoints.

On the latest episode of Clutch Scoops, ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel said he believes momentum is building toward James leaving Southern California this summer for a third stint in Cleveland.

“Everyone around the league, even at the trade deadline felt that his time with the Lakers is over and that it seems like he’s going to be going back to Cleveland,” Siegel said. “And that’s been the notion ever since that road game in Cleveland.”

Siegel pointed to James’ deep ties to the city as a driving factor behind the growing belief.

“We know how much that city means to him. It’s where he’s from, it’s where he still has family, and he does a lot for that community still even though he’s halfway across the nation,” Siegel said. “So I think that for year 24, at this point, I would be shocked if he doesn’t go back to Cleveland. I just see him taking a discount to do so. Whether it’s a minimum deal, whether they clear cap space to offer him something else. I just don’t see anyway, A, he returns to the Lakers and B, why he would want to finish his career with some new team.”

. @TomerAzarly and @BrettSiegelNBA are live to talk NBA All-Star, tanking problems + some early NBA Offseason intel!https://t.co/duIKN4TFxL

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 19, 2026

Cavaliers cap outlook, contender potential fuel LeBron James’ Lakers exit buzz

Siegel added that a potential Cavaliers roster featuring James alongside James Harden, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley could immediately vault Cleveland into contender status in the Eastern Conference.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported Wednesday that the Cavaliers would only be able to offer James a veteran minimum contract under current cap constraints.

James, 41, remains under contract with Los Angeles and is in his eighth season with the franchise and 23rd overall. He is averaging 22 points, 7.1 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 50.2 percent from the field and 30.5 percent from three-point range across 36 games. The Lakers enter the second half of the season at 33-21, sitting fifth in the Western Conference standings.

Los Angeles resumes play Friday night against the Los Angeles Clippers at 7 p.m. PT on ESPN.

Cleveland, 34-21 and fourth in the Eastern Conference, returns from the All-Star break on Thursday night when it hosts the Brooklyn Nets at 4 p.m. PT. The Cavaliers are riding a five-game winning streak.

While no decision has been made and James has not publicly addressed his long-term plans, Siegel’s comments underscore how league-wide belief is growing that another chapter in Cleveland could be on the horizon.

Use code CLUTCHPOINTS to get $5 of free coins when you sign up at Novig, America’s #1 Sports Prediction market.

The post NBA rumors: Why ClutchPoints insider buys hype on LeBron James leaving Lakers for Cavs appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Speaking on SiriusXM, Mitchell claimed that there was a sense of urgency to win the championship, per a post on X by ClutchPoints.

“This may be one of my last opportunities, maybe James [Harden’s] last opportunity… We understand what’s ahead of us, we understand what’s in front of us.”

Donovan Mitchell on the urgency for the Cavs to win a championship

(via @SiriusXMNBA)pic.twitter.com/vypGBeqca9

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 19, 2026

“As far as the pressure, obviously there is a sense of urgency. It’s like, hey you know, when you add a guy who is just as hungry as the group. The way it was last year, it was us or OKC. So now how do you respond?” he began, suggesting that the Harden move means that it may be their last chance to emerge as champions before questions are asked.

“I am not gonna say there is added pressure, but there is a sense of urgency. This may be one of my last opportunities, maybe James [Harden’s] last opportunity..We understand what’s ahead of us, we understand what’s in front of us,” Donovan Mitchell said.

Cleveland sits 34–21 and fourth in the Eastern Conference, but the record only tells part of the story. The decision to acquire Harden in exchange for Darius Garland and a future second-round pick signals that the front office is looking to win now, and want the roster to move past the development stage starting this campaign.

The Harden acquisition directly addresses Cleveland’s biggest postseason issue: half-court offensive stagnation and secondary shot creation. Even at 36, Harden is delivering 25.0 points and 8.2 assists per game this season, his most productive scoring stretch in five seasons.

Of course, Mitchell remains the star man despite Harden’s arrival. The 7-time All-Star is producing 29.0 points, 5.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game and finished fifth in MVP voting last campaign. This time around, not only will he want his team to emerge as a genuine title threat, he will also have one eye on the individual accolades.

The post Why Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell feels ‘sense of urgency’ to win a championship soon appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Claxton has put together one of the best statistical seasons of his career following an injury-riddled 2024-25 campaign. The longest-tenured Net has averaged 12.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 blocks on 59.0 percent shooting across 50 appearances.

Brooklyn did assign a grade to Claxton’s ankle sprain, but his absence on Thursday is notable for a team entrenched in the NBA’s tank race. With the Nets battling for draft position, they should be in no rush to bring Claxton back from his injury.

Nic Claxton sidelined for Nets after suffering ankle injury during practice

Brooklyn begins the second half of the season in fifth place in the draft lottery standings, one game behind the Washington Wizards in second and 1.5 ahead of the Utah Jazz in sixth. Several teams competing with the Nets at the bottom of the standings recently shut down top players.

The Sacramento Kings ruled out Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine for the season, and the Utah Jazz shut down Jaren Jackson Jr. Meanwhile, Trae Young and Anthony Davis are sidelined indefinitely for the Washington Wizards. The same goes for Ivica Zubac with the Indiana Pacers.

The Nets face a difficult upcoming schedule, with 12 of their next 17 games coming against teams with winning records. They have the NBA’s sixth-toughest remaining strength of schedule overall.

Day’Ron Sharpe will step in as Brooklyn’s starting center with Claxton sidelined. Sharpe has continued to look like one of the NBA’s top backup centers this season, averaging 8.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals on 61.1 percent shooting in 18.5 minutes per game.

Danny Wolf and Noah Clowney should see time at center with the Nets’ second unit during Claxton’s absence.

The post Nets’ Nic Claxton sidelined after spraining ankle during practice appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Here’s everything we know about Evan Mobley’s playing status vs. the Nets.

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Evan Mobley’s injury status vs. Nets

When it comes to the question of whether Evan Mobley is playing tonight vs. the Nets, the answer is yes.

Mobley has been sidelined for Cleveland’s last seven games after feeling soreness in his left calf for the second time this season. Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson shared that he and Dean Wade were trending toward playing after fully participating in Wednesday’s practice.

In his last contest, Mobley produced 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks in a win over the Orlando Magic. Wade has been one of Cleveland’s top perimeter defenders as per usual, so we’ll see how he looks coming back from his sprained left ankle. He’ll be a key component with Nae’Qwan Tomlin ruled out due to a bothersome left calf.

The Nets will be missing Claxton for the second straight contest. Josh Minott, recently acquired before the trade deadline, is on a G League assignment with Long Island. Brooklyn rookie Ben Saraf will accompany him, as well as the team’s three two-way players.

Cavs injury report

Nae’Qwan Tomlin: OUT (left calf soreness)

Max Strus: OUT (left foot surgery)

Tristan Enaruna: OUT (two-way G League assignment)

Emanuel Miller: OUT (two-way G League assignment)

Riley Minix: OUT (two-way G League assignment)

Nets injury report

Nic Claxton: OUT (right ankle sprain)

Ben Saraf: OUT (G League assignment)

Josh Minott: OUT (G League assignment)

E.J. Liddell: OUT (two-way G League assignment)

Tyson Etienne: OUT (two-way G League assignment)

Chaney Johnson: OUT (two-way G League assignment)

The post Is Evan Mobley playing tonight? Cavs vs. Nets injury report appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Ball said he understood the Cavaliers’ decision to move him on Ball in the Family Podcast, but he responded to the narrative that he was playing terribly.

“I don’t feel like I’m playing as badly as people are saying. I know I’m the scapegoat right now. But look, that comes with the name though and that comes with what they brought me in for,” said Ball.

“I’m not gonna say I’m playing great. But to me, I’m just missing shots, for real. People are always saying, ‘Shooting 25%.’ All right, let’s actually take the percentages and let’s talk about what that is. That’s four shots a game. Sh***y, but I promise we aren’t winning or losing games off of four shots.”

How Zo’s been playing lately… the real breakdown pic.twitter.com/uKl8G56lvH

— Ball In The Family Podcast (@ballinthefampod) February 17, 2026

The 28-year-old Ball seemed like the perfect fit for the Cavaliers when they signed him in the offseason. His unselfishness, playmaking, and defense were attributes that coach Kenny Atkinson hailed. But alas, it was not meant to be.

In 35 games for the Cavaliers, Ball averaged 4.6 points on 30.1% shooting, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.3 steals in 20.8 minutes off the bench.

“Can I play better? Yes. Have I been playing terribly? I don’t think I have,” added Ball.

Ball, the No.2 overall pick in 2017, has struggled to find his rhythm since missing two seasons due to a knee injury.

The Golden State Warriors are reportedly interested in signing Ball.

The post Lonzo Ball drops ‘scapegoat’ truth bomb after Cavs exit appeared first on ClutchPoints.

“Matthew, he was my teammate when I was in Sacramento,” Ellis said after Wednesday’s 138-113 blowout win over the Washington Wizards. “He texted me when I got traded. He was like, ‘Yeah, you’ll love it. Definitely a sports city.’ So yeah, definitely was good energy in there tonight, for sure.”

Dellavedova, known as “Delly” around Northeast Ohio, played in Cleveland twice. Fans in town had an affinity for the scrappy, hard-playing style the Aussie point guard brought every night. His most memorable years came in his first stint with the team from 2013-16, the final season of which the Cavs defeated the Golden State Warriors after trailing 3-1 in the NBA Finals.

Earning a well-deserved payday in free agency, Dellavedova played for the Milwaukee Bucks the next two-and-a-half seasons. Needing veteran leadership, the struggling Cavs traded back for him in December 2018. He stuck around until 2021 before heading back home to play for Melbourne United in the NBL.

After one season there, Dellavedova tried his hand one last time in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings, where he encountered a rookie Ellis in the 2022-23 campaign.

Similar to Dellavedova, Ellis is an undrafted player who had to make it to the league the hard way. He played two years of junior college at Florida SouthWestern, then spent his upperclassmen years at Alabama. Although he stood out as a senior, NBA teams did not select him in 2022. The Kings gave him a chance with a two-way contract as a rookie, and he was converted to a standard deal in February 2024 in his second season as a pro.

“I literally took just about every path to not make it,” Ellis told ClutchPoints in his postgame presser. “So yeah, crazy that I ended up here. That’s the only word I could really think of, so definitely blessed.”

“I just want to win. Like, everything else doesn’t really matter to me. As long as we get the win, that’s all that matters. When I was in college, our coach, Nate Oats, used to say, ‘When the tide rises, all the boats rise.’ So I think that message has just stuck. When the team wins, everyone wins. So, I just try to go out there and make winning plays. I would say that’s what drives me.”

Cleveland fans should quickly get attached to Ellis’ game because of his defensive efforts and consistent pressure. It’s not too far off from what the city’s dearest Australian wine-and-golder brought to the table all those years ago.

Despite being on opposite sides of the world, the two continue to maintain their relationship from their days in Sacramento. Dellavedova is still going strong with the Sydney Kings, while Ellis is beginning the second chapter of his career in the place where his friend became a folk hero.

It’s funny how small the world of basketball can be, isn’t it?

The post How Keon Ellis’ text exchange with Cavs champion ignited new fire in Cleveland appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Mitchell came out swinging in Los Angeles, putting up a score of 24 in the first round. He started perfectly from the right corner and knocked down 9 of his first 10 treys. Unfortunately, his momentum slowed above the break, missing his two opportunities from the logo. Mitchell put his money ball rack on the left wing and only went 2-of-5. Still, the veteran finished strong from the left corner and nailed 4-of-5, most importantly, the remaining money ball.

Following up on finalist Kon Knueppel’s opening round of 27, it looked like Mitchell was in prime position to get into the top three to compete for the win. Nobody was able to match or outscore the Cavs’ standout until Devin Booker, who put on a show with a 30.

Then, it was Damian Lillard’s turn to close out the field, and despite not playing a single game this season, it was officially Dame Time. Wearing Portland Trail Blazers colors for the first time since 2023, Lillard matched Knueppel’s 27.

Mitchell couldn’t believe it when he was eliminated from the final round by the last two competitors. He went to X/Twitter to apologize to both Tyson and Merrill for coming up short.

I have failed yall @smerrill05 @jaylontyson my apologies

— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) February 14, 2026

“I have failed y’all,” Mitchell wrote. “Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson, my apologies.”

That may be putting a little too much on his shoulders, even if it is for fun, but Mitchell is a great sport and an even better teammate. To wear Tyson’s jersey two years after he rocked a “Money Merrill” version of Sam’s threads on the national stage shows what he is all about.

Maybe his guys should’ve been on that stage with him.

Merrill is statistically the best high-volume catch shooter from distance in the NBA, and his season percentage is at 47.2% on over seven attempts per game. Tyson actually carries a better overall clip (47.5%) on over four tries a night, too. Mitchell leads the league with 185 total threes made.

In 2024, Mitchell scored a first-round 21, not enough to get to the final three. Lillard won that one.

No matter who was there on Saturday, history was going to repeat itself, as Lillard won the third NBA 3-Point Contest in his career.

Dame joins Larry Bird and Craig Hodges as the only players to accomplish that feat.

The post Why Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell apologized to Jaylon Tyson, Sam Merrill after 3-point contest appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Rumors of James uniting with his first NBA team to end his career has been circling around the league. The veteran star is going through his eighth season and counting with the Los Angeles Lakers but will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Mitchell addressed those rumors during his interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio on Saturday. He is very open to the scenario, referring to the opportunity a special one if James decides to return to Cleveland for what can be his final season in the league.

“As a Bron fan, to be able to be a teammate, obviously that would be special,” Mitchell said Saturday during an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio.

“Yeah, man, it’s LeBron James. But at the end of the day, that’s not my focus. I’m not here to worry about that. I know I’m going to get asked about that a bunch all weekend … But my focus is, we just traded for James Harden, Dennis Schröder, Keon Ellis. Let’s try to find a way to get a ring.”

“It’s LeBron James, right?”

Here’s Donovan Mitchell’s thoughts on the rumors that LeBron could finish his career in Cleveland@TermineRadio | @Jumpshot8

Click here for more All-Star coverage – https://t.co/j3RPgmlH7e pic.twitter.com/lm2My2U5HQ

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) February 15, 2026

What’s next for Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers

Donovan Mitchell is right to keep his focus on the current season. The Cavaliers just traded Darius Garland to the Los Angeles Clippers for James Harden, elevating their chances of being serious contenders for the remainder of the season.

Mitchell continues to excel as one of the best scorers in the league. Goin through his fourth season with the Cavaliers, he is averaging 29 points, 5.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game throughout 51 appearances. He is shooting 48.7% from the field, including 37.6% from beyond the arc, and 85.3% from the free-throw line.

Cleveland has a 33-21 record on the season, holding the 4th spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They are two games above the Toronto Raptors and 3.5 games above the Philadelphia 76ers. However, they trail the New York Knicks by one game and the Boston Celtics by 1.5 games.

Rolling with five consecutive wins, the Cavaliers remain on hiatus until the All-Star Weekend festivities come to a close. They will resume action at home when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. ET.

The post Teaming with LeBron James would be ‘special’ for Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Minix has played 12 games for the Cleveland Charge, averaging 19.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.3 steals in over 31 minutes per contest. He’s shooting a sizzling 55.6% from the field, including a 45.7% clip from long distance on nearly six tries a night. The Cavs’ G League affiliate acquired Minix from the Austin Spurs on January 13 in a three-team trade with the Westchester Knicks. Cleveland gave up both its 2027 first and second-round picks in the deal.

Before coming to the Charge, the 25-year-old spent the last two-and-a-half seasons with San Antonio’s organization. Starting his career undrafted out of Morehead State, with four previous years at Southeastern of the NAIA, Minix’s showing in the 2024 NBA Summer League earned him an Exhibit 10 contract and training camp invitation. The Spurs converted his initial terms to a two-way contract that fall.

Minix appeared in just one NBA regular-season game for San Antonio in early November 2024. He was having a solid campaign with Austin, but it was cut short due to a torn left labrum that required surgery. The 6-foot-7, 230-pound swingman returned again for his second summer with the franchise and spent the preseason with the Spurs again on a new two-way contract.

On November 2 against the Phoenix Suns, Minix scored a career-high 9 points on 4-of-6 shooting in four-and-a-half minutes of floor time. He played 11 games during the Showcase Cup portion of the G League season before Cleveland came calling to make a move. He averaged 15.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and a steal in over 33 minutes per game with Austin.

Minix has joined Tristan Enaruna and Emanuel Miller as the Cavs’ third two-way player. Since being acquired by the Charge, he has produced multiple 20-point outings, including a 27-point showing on 6-of-10 shooting from long distance in a win over Raptors 905 two nights ago.

His teammate, Norchad Omier, was just named G League Player of the Week and will represent the team at the NBA G League Next Up Game on Sunday. Things are looking up for Cleveland head coach Eli Kell-Abrams heading toward the back half of the season.

The post Cavs boost forward depth with latest signing to fill roster appeared first on ClutchPoints.

“Impressive win. Great group of guys. Under 50 points at half, I don’t think we had that in Sac for a long time,” Schroder said postgame on February 5. “Really competitive group who wants to play defense, and then, share the ball on offense, wants to play fast. I love it. I feel comfortable already.”

Following Schroder’s home debut six days later, along with James Harden and Keon Ellis, he continuously praised the Cavs.

Candidly, those compliments also came with him describing his experience with the Kings, a subject he hasn’t been reluctant to address since the move.

“It was a rough two months for me beginning of the season,” Schroder said after Wednesday’s 138-113 blowout Cleveland win over the Washington Wizards. “But being a part of Cleveland’s organization has been great, and we didn’t even practice yet. But the chemistry you can tell is on a high notch, and we just want to keep it going.”

It ultimately comes back to the upward-trending 34-21 Cavs playing “meaningful” games as the team tries to compete for a championship. He went from the worst organization record-wise to a red-hot group with a strong chance to contend.

“I’m a winner. I try to win,” Schroder said. “It’s tough when it’s not going your way. You try to work hard every single day, and you’re not getting over the hump, you’re not winning games. It was so tough for me waking up, going to practice because it wasn’t really the focus. Myself included, I think everybody in [that Kings] locker room, we had to do a better job of playing the right style of basketball. But at the end of the day, that’s over with.

“Really appreciate Sac as well because they gave me a big contract to have security for my family. I appreciate [Kings general manager] Scott [Perry], [assistant GM] BJ [Armstrong]. But at the end of the day, to be on this side now, where you play every single game to win, that excites me every single day.”

Schroder has already brought his brand of ball to Cleveland, with pestering pressure on defense and quick bursts to the rim offensively. He’s hoping to add his toughness to the team, which has its sights on a league title when all is said and done.

“The dog mentality,” Schroder said. “I think we’ve got high character guys in this locker room, but if we turn it up there, I think on the defensive side of the ball, especially, I think we can do a lot of big things here. I’m looking forward to that.”

The post Dennis Schroder’s Cavs comfortability overshadows ‘tough to wake up’ Kings past appeared first on ClutchPoints.

“I mean, it’s basketball and the whole quote-unquote loyalty thing, I think it’s overrated,” Harden said after the Cavs blew out the Washington Wizards to extend their winning streak to five games. “This is a business at the end of the day, and it’s a lot of money involved and a lot of decisions that has to be made.

“Like, if a player isn’t producing or if you don’t see him in the future, [then the] front office, some of them have to do a job and want to keep their job. So, they feel like they’ve gotta do what’s best to keep their job, and they trade players. Or, if a guy isn’t happy, and he wants to be traded to somewhere else, then it’s a problem.”

The Cavs are the fifth team that Harden has played for in his career, and the fourth organization he’s been dealt to in the last five years. After eight seasons and change with the Houston Rockets, he was sent to the Brooklyn Nets. A year and a half later, the Nets traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers. After a falling out with Sixers president Daryl Morey, who had once been his most ardent supporter in their time in Houston together, Harden was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Unlike the Philadelphia breakup or any of the previously unceremonious ends, the Clipper exit was amicable and clean, with no hard feelings on either side.

“It’s just so many different dynamics that go into it,” Harden said. “This is a business at the end of the day. Not even just the NBA, but, like, people that have normal jobs have those same problems; it’s just not magnified, you know what I mean?

“So, for me, I don’t lose focus of trying to compete for a championship and, financially, making sure that my family is taken care of. Because I’m very smart, and I’ve sacrificed a lot financially, which I don’t get credit on; it don’t get talked about, but I’m fulfilled, and I’m happy with it.”

Harden’s motivation behind the latest chapter in his journey with Cleveland is two-fold.

“Winning a championship, or at least having a chance to, and then financially getting paid for me being available and playing at the highest level for so long,” Harden said. “So, this is a business at the end of the day. I feel like players should ultimately do what’s best for them, and the front office does what’s best for them and their owner and their organization.

“It’s two sides of a story.”

Contractually, Harden and the Cavs will have to hammer out details after the NBA Finals. He has $13.3 million of his $42.3 million player option kicking in on June 29 before it fully guarantees on July 11. Whether he opts in or opts out to restructure a new deal is a conversation for a few months down the road.

For now, does he believe the Cavs have those pieces to accomplish his first goal?

“Yes,” Harden said bluntly. “I don’t know how many times I’ve really said that throughout the course of my career.

“But given the depth, given the shooting, the athleticism, the versatility that we have, yes.”

The post Cavs star James Harden blasts myth of NBA player loyalty: ‘Two sides to a story’ appeared first on ClutchPoints.

“The crowd is always crazy,” Harden said postgame. “Every time I come here as a visitor, they’re crazy about the Cavs and The Land and very loyal, and they show up every single night. It’s one of the things that I was mostly excited about, so tonight was no different.”

In his Cavs home debut, Harden put up a modest 13 points, 11 assists, 4 rebounds, and a block in 28 minutes of action. He was bothered by his “carelessness” with the ball, evidenced by six turnovers. However, the chemistry he’s established with the guys in the first three games he’s played has been natural, so much so that he barely had to score.

Sam Merrill’s 32-point outburst, Donovan Mitchell’s ho-hum 30-ball, and Jarrett Allen’s perfect 8-of-8 showing are a perfect illustration of the weaponry Cleveland possesses, Harden stated, and he is simply here for one reason.

“I shoot four shots, but we win by 25 points,” Harden said. “That’s the most important thing. I’m just here to win, so whatever that looks like, if I’ve got to go out there and score a lot of points, or I’ve got to take four shots and we win, that’s the most important thing for me. And tonight was one of those examples.

“Other than the turnovers, I wasn’t going to go out there and force shots. First home game, I’m excited, definitely excited, but we play the right brand of basketball and guys understand the right brand of basketball that we’re going to play consistently. It’s going to come to me. There’s going to be nights where I score 35-40, you know what I mean? That’s like the mindset for all of us. So Sam got it going. Don obviously had it going. JA played extremely well. Who’s next?”

Aside from Harden, the first two acquisitions of the Cavs’ trade deadline made their presence known, too, and they felt the energy.

“Really good, really good,” Ellis said. “Tyrese [Proctor] told me that the fans — I’ve heard from others as well — I’ve heard the fans are really good here. It’s a sports town. Actually, Matthew Dellavedova — he was my teammate when I was in Sacramento — texted me when I got traded. He was like, ‘Yeah, you’ll love it. Definitely a sports city.’ So yeah, definitely was good energy in there tonight, for sure.”

“The fans was incredible,” Schroder added. “To be on this side now, it’s amazing. I’m looking forward to it, to have a home crowd like this every single home game. The first couple of months before, beginning of the season, was kinda tough. But to have a home crowd who is behind you every single game is something special, and we’re not gonna take it for granted.”

Schroder and Ellis both played with different combinations and lineups between members of the starting five and the bench. Both made a huge impact and, most importantly, showed the grit that Cleveland got them for.

“I was playing AD [Anthony Davis], with Bron [James], on the same court with Austin Reaves,” Schroder said. “In the last six to seven years, I just found my way to affect the game, or affect winning. Whatever it is that game, that’s what I’mma try to do. The dog mentality, I think we’ve got high character guys in this locker room, but if we turn it up there, I think on the defensive side of the ball especially, I think we can do a lot of big things here. I’m looking forward to that.”

“At the end of the day, we’re all just going out there trying to play hard and just trying to get wins,” Ellis added. “And I mean, the way that I play in my role, I think it’s easily translatable. But I just go out there, just try to make winning plays, be in the right spots, and just do my job and let everything take care of itself. So I think we’re all professional. We know what should be done and what shouldn’t, and so I think that makes it easy on everyone.”

The Cavs have closed the unofficial first half of the season on a high note, just scratching the surface on what they could be capable of. It’s time to recharge, then, when everybody gets back, as Schroder put it, “it’s go time.”

The post James Harden, new faces excel in home debut as Cavs extend streak appeared first on ClutchPoints.

For Harden, it isn’t about overcomplicating things. He credited the team’s chemistry for the smooth start, specifically highlighting the “vibes” within the locker room. He emphasized a selfless approach to joining a roster that was already rolling before his arrival.

“Definitely vibes,” Harden said regarding his fit. “I told them, I’ll figure it out. We’ll do some adjusting with each other, but for the most part, just do what ya’ll been doing, and I’ll find my way. I’m just here to win, so whatever that looks like.”

Harden on fitting in seamlessly:

"Definitely vibes. … I told them, I'll figure it out. We'll do some adjusting with each other but for the most part, just do what ya'll been doing and I'll find my way. … I'm just here to win, so whatever that looks like." pic.twitter.com/KeV9PAgWxC

— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) February 12, 2026

The results speak for themselves. While Sam Merrill stole the show with a historic 32-point performance, Harden’s impact as a floor general was undeniable. He finished the night with 13 points and a team-high 11 assists in 28 minutes of action. Despite only taking four shots from the field, Harden kept the offense humming, constantly finding open shooters and feeding Jarrett Allen in the paint.

Harden wasn’t the only star shining, as Donovan Mitchell continued his tear with 30 points and five assists. Allen was nearly perfect himself, chipping in 21 points and nine rebounds on 10-of-11 shooting. The Wizards simply had no answer for the Cavaliers’ depth, as Kyshawn George led Washington with 17 points in a losing effort.

With five straight wins under their belt and a 3-0 record since the trade, the Cavaliers are officially the hottest team in the Eastern Conference. As Harden put it, he’s just here to win, and right now, winning looks pretty easy in Cleveland.

The post Cavs’ James Harden reveals how he’s seamlessly fit in with Cleveland appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Sam Merrill is UNCONCIOUS

He has 32 points and 9-of-10 from three.pic.twitter.com/m3NoGMHiwU

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 12, 2026

During a 138-113 rout of the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night, Merrill put on a shooting clinic that felt more like a video game than an actual NBA contest. The sharpshooter finished with a career-high 32 points in just 25 minutes of action. The efficiency was bordering on the impossible: Merrill went 11-of-12 from the field and a staggering 9-of-10 from beyond the arc.

By the time the final buzzer sounded at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Merrill had become the first player in Cavaliers history to record at least 30 points and zero turnovers while shooting over 90 percent from the floor in a single game.

The avalanche started early, as the Utah State product exploded for 26 points in the first half alone. He went a perfect 9-of-9 from the field through the first two quarters, including seven triples. His 17-point barrage in the second period fueled a 16-5 run that effectively buried the Wizards before they could even think about a comeback.

While Merrill stole the spotlight, he had plenty of help keeping Cleveland in the driver’s seat. Donovan Mitchell remained consistent with 30 points, marking his 28th game of the season reaching that milestone. Jarrett Allen dominated the interior with 21 points and nine rebounds, while James Harden thrived in his home debut with 13 points and 11 assists.

The win marks five straight for the Cavaliers, who have now won 10 of their last 11 games. With Merrill providing this kind of elite spacing, Cleveland is looking like the most dangerous offense in the East.

The post Cavs’ Sam Merrill pulls off historic stat line amid bonkers shooting vs. Wizards appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Merrill hit all nine of his field goal attempts. And that included nailing all seven of his shots from behind the arc. In total, Merrill dropped 26 points on the Wizards at the half.

Sam Merrill went CRAZY in the 1st half against the Wizards

26 points
9-of-9 FG
7-of-7 3PT pic.twitter.com/BRBN8GHxN7

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 12, 2026

It appeared that James Harden was set to become the sharpshooter in this offense — all after his trade from the Los Angeles Clippers.

Merrill, though, hit flawless marks out the gate for the Cavs while Harden played facilitator.

Notable reactions for breakout Sam Merrill night in Cavaliers vs. Wizards

The FanDuel Sports Network Ohio broadcast expressed excitement.

“Oh goodness, Sam Merrill is putting on a show!” play-by-play commentator John Michael is overheard saying live.

Cleveland sports personality Leah Doherty of Cleveland 19 News rolled with the Elmo fire gif to describe Merrill’s night.

#Cavs Sam Merrill is unstoppable tonight. 9-9 FG and 7-7 from deep

26pts in the first half pic.twitter.com/ZX0PIXJgmV

— Leah Doherty (@LeahDohertyTV) February 12, 2026

Even more astounding for Merrill, ESPN Insights revealed he hit a rare mark.

“He’s the only Cavalier in the play-by-play era to make 7 three-pointers on 100% FG in a half,” the account posted via the social media website X, formerly known as Twitter.

That means not even Cavs legends LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, even current star Donovan Mitchell never hit that mark before.

Merrill is no stranger to dropping 20+ points. He delivered 22 against the Portland Trail Blazers to start the month of February. The former Utah State star produced five total games of surpassing 20 points or more.

But he shattered his previous season-best while doubling his season points per game total.

The post Sam Merrill doubles PPG scoring average in dominant 1st half vs. Wizards appeared first on ClutchPoints.

On Monday, Tomlin played the last of his 50 allotted games allowed by his old contract. Cleveland president of basketball operations Koby Altman confirmed last week that converting the energetic forward was in the team’s plans all along, and for good reason.

“Not only is he getting converted, but he’s playing real minutes, and he’s helping us,” Altman said in his post-trade deadline media availability. “So he’s been a revelation.”

In 43 games this year, Tomlin is averaging 6.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and an assist in over 17 minutes per contest. He also takes care of the basketball with just a 7.0% turnover percentage, which, according to Cleaning the Glass, is in the 95th percentile in the NBA.

Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson has spoken ad nauseam of Tomlin’s energy and hustle plays, which can’t be quantified.

“He’s not stuck in mud. He’s like a racehorse out there,” Atkinson said on Nov. 15 following a win vs. the Memphis Grizzlies. “He’s flying, he’s getting deflections. He’s all over the place. Even offensively. He got out in transition, made a couple plays. He looks like he’s playing an open gym in September.”

It is the way he competes, the way he accepts any challenge, and the way he turns up the heat when he steps on the floor that kept Cleveland above water when it struggled in the early months.

“He’s phenomenal, ain’t he? Every day,” Mitchell said on Jan. 12 after a loss to the Utah Jazz at home. “He just knows one speed. It’s just a blessing to watch that, you know what I’m saying? Every night, he does that for us. And it’s not always going to be perfect, right? But he’s always going to give us that, and that’s huge. Him, Jaylon [Tyson], Craig [Porter Jr.]. We always highlight our young guys, Tyrese [Proctor], but ‘Qwan’s been phenomenal.”

“I mean, that guy, he’s everywhere,” Jarrett Allen added that same night. “Defense, offense, on the bench, he’s doing it all at every point of the game. We just have to feed off of that energy, understand that when six through 15 are doing it, one through five have to do it as well.”

Even when the team didn’t as a whole, Tomlin did it every night, against whoever, which has earned him a place in Cleveland’s rotation.

“I think just trying to be a star in my role,” Tomlin said after a nationally televised Cavs beatdown of the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 28. “I feel like my role is an energy guy, somebody that’s gonna come out there, play defense, play hard, make winning plays. So I just feel like I’ve tried to be a star in that.”

“This guy’s 6-10,” Atkinson added. “I don’t know what his wingspan is. He’s everywhere. He starts making threes, we’re gonna have a hell of a player on our hands.”

When the Cavs discovered Nae’Qwan Tomlin’s potential

In only the fourth game of his sophomore season, Tomlin scored 18 points against the Toronto Raptors, and that was the first time Atkinson was thinking of what more could be there.

“Imagine it’s like, ‘All of a sudden I’m an NBA player. I can get 18 points. I can play in a big game like this and contribute, have great minutes,'” Atkinson said. “I can’t imagine what it does for a guy’s confidence. But I really believe in the work, right? I mean, summer league, he was incredible, right? He was elite. You said, ‘Well, summer league, sure.’ And then I would say, ‘Open gym and preseason, really good.’

“So it shouldn’t really be a surprise to us, the coaching staff. But he’s building confidence. This is a speed game now. It’s going like this, and his profile, the way he runs the court, his length, he fits this league.”

From that point on, Atkinson rewarded him with the playing time he earned. It was consistent, then sporadic, then consistent again. It matches the kind of season Cleveland’s had on the injury front.

But this time, when the squad gets healthier, it can’t afford to keep the 25-year-old dynamo on the pine. Fast-forward to now, and the Cavs know who he is.

Tomlin is one of those guys who is wired differently. He’ll get in your face after a dunk, he’ll beat you to every loose ball, and he’ll let you know he’s there.

“I loved his energy, his feistiness,” Atkinson said after a loss to the Houston Rockets on Nov. 19. “You’re hoping, like, we discovered a real gem here. I mean, he’s showing, really showing some things with his length and athleticism, and he’s tough as nails. He’s not backing down from anybody. Crazy competitive.”

That’s why the Cavs converted him, and why he’ll continue to be a force when he’s in between those four lines.

The post How Cavs’ 2-way star earned $3 million guaranteed contract: ‘He’s been a revelation’ appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Clippers traded James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers the Tuesday before the NBA trade deadline, and Ivica Zubac was subsequently traded to the Indiana Pacers just one hour before Thursday’s deadline, marking a significant shift in the future of the franchise.

Harden made his debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night, where the Cavs took down the Sacramento Kings. After the contest, Harden spoke with members of the media to explain his side of NBA trade deadline week and how the trade out of Los Angeles came together.

“Life comes at you fast!” Harden joked first, before answering. “We just, I think it was just amazing for both sides. Like just being open and transparent with each other, I think it was the best move for both sides and I think it worked out for both sides very well. I’m sure they’re happy where they are and they got some young talent, they got a couple picks, and for me, just here with some great guys and ultimately trying to compete for a championship.

“It’s one of the best organizations that I’ve been in, top to bottom, from Steve Ballmer to Lawrence Frank and everybody else in the front office to all of the coaching staff, Tyronn Lue, Jeff Van Gundy, all of the coaching staff that helped me still become the player that I am. And then for my teammates, Kawhi [Leonard] for holding down, Big [Ivica Zubac], and all of the rest of the guys. I’m appreciative of the opportunity and I would never take it for granted.

Led by James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Ivica Zubac, the Clippers had run off 17 wins over a 21-game stretch since December 20th, the best record in the NBA over that span. But Harden and the Clippers clearly saw the potential for both sides to come out with a win in this trade deadline, and facilitated the deal that sent Harden to Cleveland and brought Darius Garland to Los Angeles.

The new Cleveland Cavaliers guard says he was informed that the trade was in discussions one week before the NBA trade deadline.

“Maybe about a week before?” Harden added. “Maybe about a week before, I was informed that the trade was a possibility and then I’m like, ‘Oh wow.’ But me and L. Frank had conversations about my contract not being guaranteed. Which I understand that part. There’s a part where if we’re not good enough, they’ve got to make decisions for their team. The opportunity came up and it was like, alright, I had to make a decision that was best for my family. I think both sides made the right decision. Credit to those guys. Much love to those guys. I hope for the best for them and much success. For the Cavs, I’m excited to be here and a bright future for us.”

Harden played a grand total of 195 of a possible 205 regular season games (95.1%) across his three seasons with the LA Clippers, averaging 21.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 8.5 assists, and 1.3 steals in those appearances. He set the franchise record for scoring with 55 points in the Clippers’ win against the Charlotte Hornets on November 22, 2025.

His time albeit short will be remembered fondly by those within the organization and fans alike.

“My job is to go out there and be a leader, be helpful, be encouraging to not only players, but staff members. We’re human. So it was just an opportunity to bond with people, understand them, what they go through in real life, and who they are as people, their families, their kids. That’s what it’s about. People from the outside looking it are like, ‘Oh, James gets traded and is making jokes, joking around, and saying things on social media.’ But in reality we all live a real life and we all got jobs to do. I feel like I did my job in the sense of leaving an impact on, maybe it’s one individual, maybe it’s a whole organization.

“Basketball is one thing. You try to win a championship, but it’s only one team that wins a championship. But you still can be a really good person throughout your time and wherever you are to people. Because you never know who’s having a bad day. You never know what stamp you can leave on somebody’s day or life. It was real love for me. Like I said, this is a business. This is my 17th year, so I understand that part of it, but life goes on and you’ve got to move on with it.”

In his debut with the Cavs, Harden recorded 23 points, two rebounds, and eight assists, including 15 points in the fourth quarter to help Cleveland hold off and defeat the Sacramento Kings.

The post James Harden breaks down why he asked for trade to Cavs appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Then, the Cleveland Cavaliers traded for Ball in the offseason. It was a somewhat shocking move at the time, and hindsight has proved it was a mistake. Ball has put up career lows across the board this year, and it culminated in him being traded to the Utah Jazz at the NBA trade deadline. Utah immediately waived Ball, and despite his struggles this year, he is still one of the top players available on the open market. So, what are the best destinations for Ball?

Denver Nuggets

ClutchPoints’ very own Brett Siegel reported that the top two suitors for Ball are the Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors. After converting Spencer Jones to a standard contract, the Nuggets still have one open roster spot. The team came into the season with point guard as arguably their biggest need.

Jamal Murray and Jalen Pickett were the only two lead guards on the roster. Murray has had his best season to date and earned his first All-Star nod, and Pickett has been a solid contributor, even starting 18 games for the team so far. While point guard isn’t as big of a concern as it was previously, adding a player like Ball would still be smart.

The Nuggets have been ravaged by injuries this year. They’ve done well in surviving extended absences from Nikola Jokic, Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, Jonas Valanciunas, and Peyton Watson, but the newfound depth they created in the offseason has certainly been tested. Adding another body makes sense, but especially a player that has the size to play multiple positions and fill in wherever help is needed.

While Ball is a point guard by trade, he is a jumbo facilitator who can guard twos and threes, too. Denver’s bench unit has been much improved this year, but the non-Jokic minutes have typically been a disaster. Ball’s playmaking could ensure Denver’s bench doesn’t return to old habits.

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors’ trade deadline plans and championship aspirations were likely thwarted when Jimmy Butler went down with a season-ending injury. Even so, the Warriors made a trade deadline move that brings balance to their roster. The team traded Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield for Kristaps Porzingis.

Kuminga had one foot out the door for quite some time, and Hield was expendable because Golden State already had plenty of guard shooting in the form of Stephen Curry. Porzingis fills a hole for the Warriors because the team was desperate for a center. There was a dire need for an interior presence on both ends of the floor. Rim protection, in particular, was a huge need. Porzingis provides enough shooting to fit the Warriors’ offensive schemes, too.

Still, a gritty player is needed because of Butler’s injury. Ball isn’t the defender or glue guy he once was because of various lower-body injuries throughout his career. At his best, though, he could do a lot of the things that Butler provided the Warriors.

There are a couple of solid players who were waived or are on the buyout market, but teams rarely get true game changers in free agency after the trade deadline. The Warriors only have so many years of contention left, though, and Ball could certainly help them try to make a surprise run this season.

Charlotte Hornets

LaVar Ball’s dream scenario might be closer to reality than ever before. The Charlotte Hornets are led by LaMelo Ball, and he could very well team up with older brother Lonzo now that he is on the open market. The patriarch of the Ball family and Big Baller Brand’s founder has long wanted his sons to play together.

LiAngelo Ball’s window for life in the NBA has closed, but ensuring LaMelo is happy by pairing him up with one of his former Chino Hills teammates makes sense. It wasn’t that long ago that LaMelo heard his name in trade rumors. The Hornets have played great ever since, and Ball is now cemented as one of their long-term franchise players, but bringing in Lonzo would prove Charlotte’s loyalty to their former number three pick.

Both Ball brothers have somewhat similar skill sets, so Lonzo could back his brother up quite well and allow the Hornets to run the same offense even when the reserves are in. They are both tall guards who are best when creating for their teammates. They also both have unorthodox, but sometimes effective shooting forms, although both players can be streaky. Lonzo’s presence would also help LaMelo to be his best self because he loves competing against his brothers.

Lonzo’s athleticism has regressed, and with it has come poorer perimeter defense and less offensive creation ability. His 3-point shot has also been ineffective this year. Still, Lonzo has a high basketball IQ and makes too much sense on the Hornets.

The post 3 best Lonzo Ball destinations after Cavs dump him to Jazz to be waived appeared first on ClutchPoints.

By the end of the night, they got what they wanted. That goes especially for Ellis, who closed the night at the 4 for Cleveland next to Harden, Mitchell, Sam Merrill, and Jarrett Allen on his old stomping grounds at the Golden 1 Center.

“I thought he made some huge defensive plays for us,” said Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson, singling out the team’s new swingman postgame. “That’s why he finished the game. We needed him out there.”

Ellis produced 6 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and a block as a plus-20 in 17 minutes of play, showcasing a little bit of everything. A deflection machine, he gave his assignments no room to breathe, sticking to them away from the ball and making anybody who dared pass it in that direction pay. Ellis got Russell Westbrook twice, once on a pocket pass with little separation and another time stationed between the paint and the corner.

Soon after, he seamlessly switched onto Westbrook from Nique Clifford after a screen, hid far back enough so that Sacramento rookie center Maxime Raynaud would try to get it to a ball-handler, then came away with it in the open floor. All three of Ellis’ steals happened in the fourth quarter, and the last two takeaways were within 30 seconds of each other.

On Ellis’ final swipe, he dribble drove up the right side of the floor with Raynaud and Clifford defending. He waited long enough for Harden to get to his spot above the break, and the Beard took care of the rest. That sequence gave the Cavs a 108-107 lead, showing how timely it was. Ellis was responsible for two Harden catch-and-shoot chances, and both were true.

As a spot-up shooter, Ellis drilled his first two looks. Mitchell found him on the left wing, and Schroder swung it to him on the right off a Mitchell drive-and-kick. The next two tries were solid as well, despite the front-iron miss results.

“Obviously, the gravity threat, but he showed some real pop, some real athleticism,” Atkinson. “I can’t wait… that’s a good sign. I don’t know the player intimately, so great to see him show out tonight.”

Schroder, who came over to the Cavs with him, has also impressed in his first two games. On Saturday, he was part of second-unit lineups with Ellis, Thomas Bryant, Craig Porter Jr., and Nae’Qwan Tomlin that largely outplayed the starters.

“All of them,” Atkinson said. “They had their energy. First group, energy was just okay, and those guys came in. Dennis, obviously a part of that. That did feel like that switched the game when we started the game out not with full energy.”

“Shout out to JA for continuing to hold it down throughout, the bench unit continuing to do that,” Mitchell added. “But all in all, we’re gonna figure things out. We saw a lot late-game that we can kinda play with and go from there, but any win’s a good win at this point; we need ’em all. But we just know in the back of our heads, like, ‘Okay, really have no time to work on nothing.’ We were just out there playing. Not bad, and we’ll get better.”

Schroder finished the evening with 7 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds, and no turnovers in his 17 minutes. Cleveland’s downhill rim pressure has been so much more threatening since his arrival, and Schroder has put his 0-to-100 burst on display on multiple occasions already. He is highly skilled at zooming by with a quick cross, shielding the ball on his drives, and scooping the ball off the backboard against bigger defenders.

It’s not about the numbers with the veteran point guard, though; it’s about the attitude he comes in with.

“He started waving me off after like three plays. That’s when I know it was good,” Atkinson said pregame Saturday. “And he was talking to Donovan, ‘Hey, let’s run wide.’ I was like, ‘Can I say something here?’ That’s the way you want it.

“I went to talk to [Cavs assistant] Mike Gerrity, I was like, ‘I’m just sitting down.’ They’re already communicating. We’ve got very few actions and principles, so it’s not like we’re running intricate sets.”

The same goes for Ellis.

“I’d say Dennis and Keon, my thing was like, ‘We’re not gonna talk about your role yet. Go out and be yourselves. That’s it,'” Atkinson said. “That’s what I expected of them the other night. Luckily, we got some practice time with those guys; you can talk a little more, where we want to see ’em.”

The post How a Cavs’ revenge game vs. Kings overshadowed James Harden’s stellar debut appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo was the biggest name on the trading block ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline. Ultimately, the Milwaukee Bucks decide to hold onto him. Antetokounmpo and the Bucks have played a game of cat and mouse for far too long. The two-time MVP, who is arguably the best player in franchise history, has signaled interest in a trade on multiple occasions because it seems unlikely that the Bucks can build a contender around him.

However, every time that Antetokounmpo soft-launches a trade request, he seemingly backpedals and claims he wants to be a lifelong Buck. It is unclear whether Antetokounmpo’s hesitancy to commit to a full-blown trade request is because he genuinely wants to play in Milwaukee or because he doesn’t want to be villainized. Regardless, it now seems like just a matter of time until the Greek Freak actually is moved.

The Bucks have little draft capital to improve the roster going forward, and it is clear that they aren’t contenders as is. Their only trade deadline move was to bring in Nigel Hayes-Davis and Ousmane Dieng, neither of whom likely improves the team’s outlook going forward.

If Antetokounmpo is again put on the trading block, all trade talks league-wide will come to a halt until his situation is figured out. Antetokounmpo is still one of the very best players in the NBA. He is a 6-foot-11 freak of nature who bullies opponents inside with brute force. Antetokounmpo can play at a Defensive Player of the Year level on the less glamorous end of the court, too.

Teams have learned from the Dallas Mavericks’ mistakes and won’t trade their megastars for underwhelming packages. The Bucks likely didn’t get a huge package at the trade deadline, but teams may be more willing to mortgage their future for Antetokounmpo in the offseason.

Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers blew their core up at the trade deadline. James Harden was swapped out for a younger Darius Garland, and Ivica Zubac was traded for a package centered around draft capital. Clearly, a new era of Clippers basketball is kicking off, but Kawhi Leonard is still on the roster.

Leonard is a polarizing player whose future is a complete mystery. When healthy, Leonard is one of the best players in the NBA because he is an all-time great defender who can score as the top option. Of course, Leonard has struggled to stay on the court for years. There is also the matter of the ongoing investigation regarding Aspiration and potential salary cap circumventing.

It is unclear what will come from the issue, nor is it clear if the NBA would have even allowed a Leonard trade at the deadline. Leonard has also shown an unwillingness to play outside of Los Angeles. If the league rules that Leonard can be moved, and if teams are comfortable taking him on despite the investigation, injury concerns, and taking him away from his home, then Leonard would be highly coveted in the trade market. He is a player who fits in any scheme and has championship experience with multiple organizations.

Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies have been growing frustrated with Ja Morant in recent years. The point guard has been suspended on multiple occasions, and his play has slipped in recent seasons. The Grizzlies didn’t trade him at the trade deadline, though. Instead, Jaren Jackson Jr. was sent to the Utah Jazz.

The Grizzlies had also traded Desmond Bane in the offseason. Memphis now has somewhere between 11 and 13 future first-round draft picks. A new era has begun in Memphis. While Morant is still with the team for now, it still seems likely that he will be traded in the upcoming offseason.

Once viewed as a potential future face of the league, Morant’s trade value has  plummeted because of suspect defense, inefficient scoring, and constant butting heads with his team and teammates. Still, a team could take a chance on him, especially if he goes for much cheaper than his former teammates did in trade.

Morant is still an incredible athlete who can finish inside on, around, or over any defender. It seems unlikely that Morant and the Grizzlies can make amends, so if the off-the-court issues are in the past, somebody should buy low on the Murray State product.

Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets

Michael Porter Jr. has taken his game to new levels with the Brooklyn Nets. Previously more of a catch-and-shoot option with the Denver Nuggets, Porter has been given the ultimate green light this year with the Nets. He has rewarded the team by scoring 25 points per game.

While the Nets could certainly keep Porter as their top option going forward, it is possible that the team will leverage his increased production into an offseason trade. Brooklyn is still rebuilding and is a ways away from contending. They are obsessed with draft capital, considering they currently have five rookie first-rounders on their team and 12 future first-round selections coming their way.

Building around Porter seems like the logical conclusion. His shooting efficiency at 6-foot-10 allows him to fit on any roster/scheme, and he is still just 27 years old. Brooklyn’s desire for draft capital may persuade them to trade Porter in the offseason, though. After all, offseason trades involving big-name players have become commonplace for the Nets in recent years. They received a haul for Mikal Bridges not long ago in the offseason, and Porter was a part of an offseason trade involving Cam Johnson.

Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers are all in on a short title window. The team’s roster was simply too expensive to maintain long-term, so they made a short-sided move to acquire James Harden. Sacrificing a much younger All-Star in the process hurt, but Harden likely does give the team a better shot to get into the NBA Finals this year than Darius Garland did.

In addition to the Harden trade, Cleveland sent De’Andre Hunter away in a trade deadline deal for Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder. They also moved on from Lonzo Ball. These moves helped the Cavaliers get their finances more in check, but they are still the lone second apron team in the NBA.

Jarrett Allen was already involved in trade rumors, and he has a big contract extension kicking in next year. If the Cavaliers are not crowned champions, they may end up looking a whole lot different next season. The consequences for repeating as a second apron team are harsh, and the Cavaliers’ hand may be forced into trading Allen. Luckily, Evan Mobley has looked more equipped this season to be a full-time center than ever before.

The post 5 stars who weren’t traded at 2026 NBA trade deadline who will definitely be moved in offseason appeared first on ClutchPoints.

“Made all the big plays,” Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson said of Harden’s debut. “Two big threes obviously. I thought he had a great 1-on-1 duel with [DeMar] DeRozan there at the end and got a great contest on an important shot. He was the closer. Him and Donovan really synced up at the end to make the big plays. I mean phenomenal. Controlled the game, controlled the tempo, and obviously made the big shots.

“We’ve got a little bit of a run going here. We have a confidence. There’s no panic. It reminded of last year where we’re just calm in the moment. They were making incredible shots. They made some great shots; [Nique] Clifford made some great shots, DeRozan obviously. They played great. But we kept our calm. It helps when you have James Harden and Donovan Mitchell to help close a game like that.”

Harden scored 20 of his 23 points in the second half, knocking down six of his final seven shots. He handed out eight assists, half of which went to Jarrett Allen.

In his first interview as a member of the Cavs, he didn’t overthink the process of fitting in with his new group. Harden did, on the other hand, think about another part of his game being utilized more often than it has been in the past.

“We’ll see. It’s only been one game,” Harden said with a chuckle. “So we’ll see what works, we’ll see what doesn’t work.

“I don’t know how many catch-and-shoot opportunities I had this year, but this is the first time where I feel like I got at least four or five catch-and-shoot opportunities. Something I’ve got to get used to.”

Three of Harden’s five made triples were assisted, one by Mitchell and two by Keon Ellis. Most importantly, he nailed two of the biggest shots of the evening from the same spot within 30 seconds.

“Very, very unselfish,” Harden said of his new backcourt partner in Mitchell. “Tonight, you didn’t even know he got 35. So quiet, but he’s just so effortless. He doesn’t force. He just plays the game the right way, and it falls down the line.

“I’m just happy to be in an environment where I can get catch-and-shoot opportunities, so we’ll see where it goes from there. But I’m happy to be here.”

Mitchell believes that is because Cleveland’s roster offers different chances for the 36-year-old veteran.

“It’s one of those situations where it’s a lot of space,” Mitchell said. “You’ve got myself, you have him, you have Sam [Merrill] out there. You have [Jarrett Allen] and Keon, it could be Dean [Wade], you know what I mean? So it’s just a lot of space, gives you room to attack.”

Impressed by his direct approach from the jump, Mitchell noted that Harden was telling him and Allen to “go” so he could create for them instead of focusing on his own scoring.

“But then, you’re also telling him to go,” Mitchell said. “That’s special when you have a guy that’s established, that’s done a lot, to come in and have that approach. I think at halftime, it kinda flipped for us, and we figured it out. But he’s steady, man. It’s great to be able to be off the ball, watch him pick apart the defense. We have our two different stints, but he’s steady. And then when you need him, he’s there.”

“Incredible,” Allen added. “At the beginning of the game, wasn’t scoring as much as you’d expect, but he was distributing the ball to everybody. At the end of the game, he took over, made a couple stepback threes, and got us back in the game. Made every decision. Whether it was him scoring, giving him the ball in the iso, or finding a guy on the roll, and even on the defensive end, getting stops.”

Asked about the Harden-Mitchell pairing, Allen considers it a pick-your-poison choice that can be “dangerous.” Atkinson has repeated himself about the sharp basketball IQs they both possess, mentioning he didn’t see a “your turn, my turn” approach from either on Saturday night. Mitchell agrees with him.

“I think the biggest thing that he did tonight was just kicking the ball ahead, allowing guys to create, then if they had nothing, now it’s back to him,” Mitchell explained. “And now, we’re in pick and rolls. As much as he is a hell of an isolation player, he’s a phenomenal pick-and-roll player. Now it’s like, we’re in together, you run pick-and-roll, and I’m in the corner or Sam’s in that corner, what are you gonna do? And if that doesn’t happen, we have the second side. It wasn’t perfect tonight; we’re trying to get accustomed to all of that, but that’s what you see

“I’m not gonna speak for him, but I would think he wants to… it’s tough being in isolation over and over again; you kinda want a break to be able to get off it and do different things. When you have guys like we have in this locker room, especially for him and myself, being able to get off it and say, ‘Hey, go make a play.’ We ran the ATO for Jaylon Tyson to keep it and get downhill; yeah, he missed, but that’s what you want to see. Continue to make plays for each other. We are gonna get ours and them figure it out throughout, but continue to use it as a collective.”

What James Harden’s passing proficiency can do for Cavs

Allen feels that Harden found every opportunity to exploit the defense, especially in pick-and-roll with him. In their first game together, the 27-year-old center produced a healthy 29 points on 11-of-12 from the field to go with 10 rebounds and an assist.

“Honestly, even if it wasn’t a pass to me, we were just reading the action, reading gravity for players to bring it to us, and he’d find either Sam or Jaylon on the wing, cutting,” Allen said. “Everything we did worked out.”

“He’s so smart, right,” Atkinson added. “That’s what you do when you get to a new team. Jarrett Allen’s 11-for-12 ’cause James is hitting him in the pocket and finding him on the roll. That’s how you ingratiate yourself with your teammates and your new team. You know James. His No. 1 attribute, I always felt like he makes others better. Everybody talks about scorer, iso guy, but he makes people around him better. That’s why this is a fit; it’s a fit for us. Good to see it manifest itself tonight.”

Before his debut, Atkinson highlighted that Harden is a master of the pick-and-roll and passing in general. It’s not just the precision; it goes beyond it.

“He’s got a great reputation for communicating with his bigs — angle of the screen, ‘Hey, am I slipping out? Am I holding it? Do you want to flip this?’ — and Donovan does a great job of that, too,” Atkinson said. “Evan [Mobley] and JA, I think it helps them. Where do you want the screen? Do you want me to set it high? Do you want me to set it lower? All that communication during the game.

“You see what James did with Zu [Ivica Zubac] with the Clippers. They worked on it a lot, and I expect that to happen with our guys. Get them out there together and get reps as much as we can.”

Enthralled by the Cavs as an organization and as a team, Harden already liked what he saw in Game 1.

“We’ve got a combination of young guys who understand their role and play and their plays very well,” Harden said. “JT, obviously. The head honcho in Don. But you’ve got a bunch of guys that understand their role. You’ve got athletic bigs, you’ve got shooting everywhere, you’ve got coaching everywhere. I’ve just got to figure out where I fit in, but that won’t be hard.

“I told the guys just do what y’all do, and I’ll figure it out. I’m good enough to figure it out and insert myself in. But no practices, this is my first time playing 5-on-5 since probably a week ago, so it’s a little rusty. We’re just happy we got the win, and we’ve got some things to build on.”

The post What James Harden didn’t see coming next to Donovan Mitchell in Cavs debut appeared first on ClutchPoints.

After the game, Harden was asked about his time with the Los Angeles Clippers, and he had nothing but good things to say about the people in the organization.

“One of the best organizations that I’ve been in from top to bottom. From Ballmer to L Frank. Everybody in the front office… I’m appreciative of the opportunity and I’ll never forget it,” Harden said.

James Harden had high praise for the Clippers organization:

"One of the best organizations that I’ve been in from top to bottom. From Ballmer to L Frank. Everybody in the front office… I’m appreciative of the opportunity and I’ll never forget it."pic.twitter.com/XuVAJo4Wa4

— NBA Base (@TheNBABase) February 8, 2026

Harden had the chance to play for his hometown team, and not everyone has the opportunity to do so. Not only that, but he was able to leave an imprint on the team that some will never forget.

“That’s all I can do. … You never know what standard you leave on somebody’s day or life. It was real love for me. … Life goes on, it moves on, and you gotta move on with it,” Harden said.

Harden noted that he didn’t ask for a trade, and it was something that the Clippers brought up to him, knowing his contract situation for next season. In the end, both teams were able to accomplish what they wanted, as Harden is in win-now mode with the Cavs, while the Clippers are now younger and focus on the future.

The Cavs may have been a perfect opportunity for Harden, as he plays alongside another high-scoring guard in Donovan Mitchell, and he has lob threats surrounding him, such as Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

The Cavs were serious about improving at the deadline, and they did so. Now it’s time for them to try to make a run.

The post Cavs’ James Harden keeps it classy about Clippers after bombshell trade appeared first on ClutchPoints.

After the game, rapper Travis Scott crashed Harden and new teammate Donovan Mitchell’s postgame interview on the court.

Travis Scott crashed James Harden's interview after Harden's first W with the Cavs pic.twitter.com/kA8T9O7Gow

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 8, 2026

Scott has long been known to be a supporter of Harden’s dating back to his days as a Houston Rocket, which is Scott’s home city.

Harden played well in his Cavs debut, scoring 23 points on an efficient shooting night and also pitching in eight assists. Mitchell, meanwhile, was excellent, dropping 35 points on the Kings’ defense, while Jarrett Allen also scored 29 for the Cavs.

This game also marked the return of Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder to Sacramento after their trade to Cleveland last week in exchange for De’Andre Hunter, and the pair combined for 13 points in the win.

Overall, the Cavs’ trade for Harden signaled that the team is ready to compete for a championship right now, and it certainly hurt the front office to have to part ways with a two-time 26 year-old All-Star in Darius Garland.

However, Garland’s availability had started to become a major question mark in recent seasons, and for all of his well-documented issues in the postseason, Harden has built a reputation as one of the most durable players in the NBA throughout his career.

It will be interesting to see how Harden and Mitchell mesh, considering that both are at their best when the offense runs through them, but they are also both capable catch and shoot players, and are clearly seeing eye-to-eye on their goal of competing for a championship.

The Cavs will next take the floor on Monday evening vs the Denver Nuggets.

The post Travis Scott’s NSFW rant crashes Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell, James Harden’s postgame appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Alongside Donovan Mitchell, who poured in 35 points, Harden took over the fourth quarter by scoring 15 of his 23 total points.

His perfect shooting in the final frame, including three timely shots from beyond the arc, secured the win and marked a historic night where two teammates each scored at least 15 points in a single fourth quarter for the first time in franchise history.

Following his explosive debut, Harden shared insight into the process that brought him to Cleveland.

According to Tomer Azarly on X, Harden revealed that the possibility of a trade involving him and Darius Garland was brought to his attention a full week before the NBA trade deadline.

The guard mentioned having direct conversations with Clippers executive Lawrence Frank regarding his contract situation and the guarantees involved.

Harden noted that he understood the move as part of the business side of the league, acknowledging that the dialogue was transparent before the deal was finalized.

This revelation suggests that the blockbuster move was carefully considered by both parties well before the deadline, allowing for a smoother mental transition despite the lack of on-court preparation with his new teammates.

And according to analyst Kendrick Perkins, sources indicate that both Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are already planning to recruit LeBron James this offseason.

The idea of the legend returning for a final chapter in Cleveland would create a formidable lineup alongside Evan Mobley.

With the Cavaliers currently sitting at 32-21 and fourth in the Eastern Conference, adding James could be the final piece for a championship run.

For now, the team looks toward Denver while riding the momentum of eight wins in their last nine games.

The post Cavs’ James Harden drops revelation about Clippers’ Darius Garland trade after making debut appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Cavaliers entered the game integrating Harden on short notice after acquiring him from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Darius Garland and a second-round pick. Harden had not practiced with the team before the matchup. Cleveland’s starters looked out of sync defensively, particularly on the glass and in containment, allowing Sacramento to jump out to a 31–25 lead after the first quarter. Offensively, Mitchell and Harden appeared hesitant to assert control, contributing to stagnant possessions.

The Cavs stabilized in the second quarter behind their bench and took a 57–55 lead into halftime after outscoring the Kings 32–24 in the period. However, those early problems resurfaced for the Cavaliers in the third. Sacramento reclaimed momentum and built a double-digit advantage midway through the frame before Cleveland responded with an 11–0 run. Still, the Cavaliers trailed 96–93 entering the fourth.

Mitchell grabbed the reins in the fourth quarter, scoring Cleveland’s first 11 points of the quarter and finishing with 35 points overall. He added 17 points in the fourth and converted two crucial free throws after DeMar DeRozan tied the game with a three-pointer with just over 42 seconds remaining.

Harden made an impact immediately after checking back in midway through the fourth. He knocked down a transition three to give the Cavs a brief lead, then later finished an 8–0 Cavaliers run with another wide-open triple as the Kings momentarily surged ahead by seven. Harden scored 15 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter and made every shot he attempted in the period, including three three-pointers and four free throws.

For the game, Harden finished with 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting, 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, along with eight assists, two rebounds, and one steal in 32 minutes. Mitchell and Harden combined for 32 of Cleveland’s 39 fourth-quarter points, marking the first time since play-by-play tracking began in 1996–97 that two Cavaliers teammates each scored at least 15 points in a fourth quarter.

Jarrett Allen recorded 29 points on 11-of-12 shooting with 10 rebounds. Nique Clifford led Sacramento with 30 points, while Russell Westbrook added 21 points and nine assists. The loss was the Kings’ 12th straight and sixth consecutive defeat at home.

Meanwhile, the win was Cleveland’s third in a row and eighth in its last nine games, improving to 32-21 overall and 3–1 on its Western Conference road trip. The Cavs will close the trip Monday night against the Denver Nuggets.

The post James Harden immediately comes up clutch for Cavs vs. Kings appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Harden is listed on the injury report as “trade pending” ahead of Saturday night’s matchup. Here’s everything we know about his status heading into tonight’s game vs. the Kings.

Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*

James Harden’s playing status vs. Kings

Harden was initially listed as questionable to play on Saturday night, according to the NBA injury report. However, he has been upgraded to available, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints reports.

The Cavs will enter play with a 31-21 record, which is good for fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Meanwhile, the Kings are 12-41 and in last place in the Western Conference.

Cleveland should be able to get the job done on Saturday, but nothing is guaranteed. The Cavs would surely love to have Harden available for the game. When it comes to the question of if James Harden is playing tonight, however, the answer is yes.

Cavs’ injury report

The Cavs have five players listed on the injury report.

• James Harden (trade pending): Available
• Dean Wade (left ankle sprain): Questionable
• Evan Mobley (left calf strain): Out
• Max Strus (left foot surgery jones fracture): Out
• Emmanuel Miller (G League two-way): Out

The Kings were defeated 114-111 on Friday night to the Los Angeles Clippers. Since Sacramento played on Friday night, Saturday’s game represents the second of a back-to-back. As a result, they have not released their injury report as of this story’s writing.

The post James Harden set to make Cavs debut vs. Kings appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Among those teams was the Cleveland Cavaliers, who briefly spoke to the Nets about swapping Lonzo Ball for Thomas, according to The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov.

“There had been talks with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a deal that would have sent Lonzo Ball to Brooklyn, league sources said, but that did not go far and Thomas might not have stayed with the Cavaliers even if it had happened.”

The talks did not appear to gain any traction, with Cleveland eventually trading two second-round picks to the Utah Jazz to offload Ball’s $10 million expiring contract.

Cam Thomas hitting free agent market after trade talks fall through

While Cleveland registered interest in Thomas, it’s not surprising that trade talks didn’t go far. The Nets would have been seeking multiple second-round picks to take on Ball’s contract. In addition, they were likely hoping to receive some form of draft compensation for Thomas.

Thomas also had a no-trade clause, which he would have needed to waive for any deal to go through. The fifth-year guard will now have the ability to canvass the free agent market for his next destination.

The Cavaliers will have an opportunity to bring Thomas in via the buyout market.

While his shortcomings as a defender and playmaker have greatly limited his market, Thomas flashed high-level scoring ability throughout his Nets tenure. The 2021 first-round pick averaged 21.4 points on .434/.353/.860 shooting splits over the last three seasons.

The post The Cavs trade that almost sent Lonzo Ball to Nets appeared first on ClutchPoints.

During the latest episode of the “Road Trippin’ Show,” Perkins claims that his sources have informed him that Donovan Mitchell and James Harden plan to recruit LeBron James to sign with the Cavaliers in the offseason.

“My sources told me that Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are starting the push to go and recruit LeBron James this offseason.”

"My sources told me that Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are starting the push to go and recruit LeBron James this offseason."

— Kendrick Perkins

(via @RoadTrippinShow)pic.twitter.com/HCR0cWp32q

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 7, 2026

James has been rumored to be interested in re-joining the Cavaliers before. It could be the perfect storybook ending for the 41-year-old forward’s career. Additionally, if James did return to Cleveland, the team would have a stacked lineup featuring the future Hall of Famer, Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, and Evan Mobley.

Adding LeBron James to the roster next season could be exactly what the Cavaliers need to get over the hump. Cleveland is currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, as the team is already viewed as a playoff contender. Additionally, rumors continue to suggest that the Lakers are ready to move on from the 22-time All-Star.

James has only managed to play in 33 games so far this season, as he’s dealt with some injuries and lingering pains. Despite that, he’s remained as consistent as ever, averaging 21.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game while shooting 50.6% from the floor and 31.5% from beyond the three-point line.

The post Cavs rumors: Donovan Mitchell, James Harden want to recruit LeBron James in offseason, per Kendrick Perkins appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Many people are high on the move, including some of the players in the league. Cam Johnson from the Denver Nuggets is one of them, and he spoke about the Cavs new backcourt on his podcast.

“It’s a backcourt that can score. [James Harden and Donovan Mitchell] can each put up 50 any given night,” Johnson said. “They’ve had the bones, they’ve been really good. [Darius] Garland has been hurt all year, and even when he was playing, he went back down with that foot. Adding James adds a different level to a 31-21 Cleveland team, so they’re better than what their record is right now, and they are to be taken seriously in the East.”

“[James Harden and Donovan Mitchell] can each put up 50 any given night… They are to be taken seriously in the East.”

– Cam Johnson

(via @OldManAndThree)pic.twitter.com/20e11dOdvf

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 6, 2026

Adding Harden will definitely make them better than they were this season, especially since Garland was nursing the foot injury for most of it. Harden had been playing at a high level for the Clippers this season and was one of the reasons they were able to get out of their slump from early in the year.

Though Harden and Mitchell are both ball-dominant players, they’ve both shown the willingness to share the ball. Harden has played with other ball-dominant players throughout his career, and it’s worked out well, so this shouldn’t be any different.

Harden should also be a plus for players such as Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, and they could get even easier looks when he’s on the court.

The Cavs should definitely be a team that many keep an eye on for the rest of the season, and it’ll be interesting to see if they can make a deep postseason run.

The post Cam Johnson throws praise at new Cavs’ James Harden, Donovan Mitchell backcourt appeared first on ClutchPoints.

No, there was no Luka Doncic-esque trade this season, but 26 total trades were made before this season’s deadline, including 11 former All-Stars being on the move.

Anthony Davis, Jaren Jackson Jr., James Harden, Darius Garland, and Trae Young are among the biggest names who now find themselves in new homes, but several other notable players like Ivica Zubac, Jared McCain, Bennedict Mathurin, Coby White, and Jose Alvarado were traded as well.

Overall, this was a very active trade deadline, but it was a selective one at that for all 30 NBA franchises.

Unlike previous years, where teams look to make additions to immediately help their playoff chances, this trade deadline period almost felt like NBA free agency months before the actual free agency period begins. Teams are now looking ahead to the future, and many front offices are extremely aware of all the tax and apron rules that are thrown at them.

With some teams cutting cap numbers and trying to dip below certain tax marks, others are using the trade deadline as an opportunity to springboard and escalate their success. Just look at the Utah Jazz landing Jackson Jr., the Washington Wizards adding two All-Stars in Davis and Young, and the Indiana Pacers pulling off a stunning move for Zubac.

Before we dive into the clear winners of the trade deadline, there are four teams we want to shine a light on as honorable mentions.

The Pacers and Los Angeles Clippers are basically tied together, as these two teams came together to make the Zubac trade hours before the deadline passed, and they each came out as big winners. Although Tyrese Haliburton won’t be back on the floor until the 2026-27 season begins, the Pacers now have their center of the future, one on a very team-friendly contract, who can help get this team back in contention for the NBA Finals.

Out in Los Angeles, well technically Inglewood, the Clippers finally have a clear path forward in the post-whatever-you-want-to-call-the-Kawhi Leonard-James Harden era. Steve Ballmer’s team now has a decent amount of draft capital, they added two young, dynamic players in Garland and Mathurin, and this team can attack free agency hard over the next couple of years.

Shoutouts are also in order for the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics for what they accomplished at the trade deadline. Both teams took a very analytical approach, achieving their goals, starting with the Knicks finally being able to move Guerschon Yabusele for Jose Alvarado, a player they have been targeting since December.

While the Knicks struggled to find a trade partner for Yabusele and were even denied trying to trade him straight up for Alvarado with the New Orleans Pelicans, Leon Rose and New York’s front office were creative by restructuring his contract to void Yabusele’s second-year player option. This led to the Knicks trading him to the Chicago Bulls for Dalen Terry, a player on an expiring salary, who was then flipped to the Pelicans with two second-round picks for Alvarado.

Chef’s kiss on this trade and the work by the Knicks’ front office.

As for the Celtics, they had been cutting tax dollars since the offseason, and after beginning the summer as a second-apron team, Boston will finish this season under the luxury tax. Most importantly, even though the Celtics traded Anfernee Simons, they got a key center in Nikola Vucevic and did not have to move any of their essential talents in the process.

All four of these teams did a fantastic job of bettering their outlook, both for the immediate and long-term futures, but here are the biggest winners of the 2026 NBA trade deadline.

Wizards, Anthony Davis

The job Will Dawkins and Michael Winger have done completely reinventing the Washington Wizards roster and long-term outlook is remarkable. Just a few seasons ago, this team was living at the bottom of the league standings, and they were the laughing stock of the league.

Now, the Wizards have a plethora of young, athletic players, Trae Young will be their point guard next season, and Anthony Davis will be the perfect mentor for Alex Sarr. Oh, and if you are not aware, the Wizards could end up with the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

It won’t be long until the Wizards are back in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, and this organization’s ability to pinpoint opportunities to buy low on superstar-like talents is why they are one of the biggest winners of the NBA trade deadline this season.

A total of 14 All-Star appearances are arriving to this organization by way of Young and Davis, which will help set the standard for Wizards basketball moving forward. What’s even better is that the Wizards basically got Young and Davis for free.

Although the Wizards valued Corey Kispert’s production, he was the only real asset given up for Young. Then, for Davis, the Wizards only sacrificed expiring contracts, players not in their rotation, and two first-round picks that are not valuable to them whatsoever.

Washington surrendered the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2026 first-round pick, which will likely be the 30th overall selection, and then they traded the Golden State Warriors’ 2030 first-round pick that is protected 1-20. Basically, they gave up two picks of little value for one of the NBA’s top 75 players of all time.

That’s a pretty good deal if you ask me.

This NBA trade deadline presented no risk to the Wizards, and they can move forward with two stars happy to be with a new franchise and can clear the air on their respective careers.

At the cost of nickels and pennies, the Wizards came away with a lot of value at the trade deadline.

Jon Horst and the Bucks

Everyone who thought Giannis Antetokounmpo would be traded was bamboozled. The Milwaukee Bucks never seemed to have any intention of trading Giannis at this deadline, and while they did listen to offers coming their way, teams were left knowing Antetokounmpo truly wasn’t available.

Although Jon Horst and the Bucks still face an uphill slope attempting to reinvent this roster and build a championship contender around Giannis, the key takeaway for them from the NBA trade deadline is that Giannis is still on the team and has not ever requested a trade.

The biggest takeaway from the deadline for the Bucks is that they have gathered a lot of intel from rival teams.

Giannis was drawing significant interest from teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, and Miami Heat before the deadline, and now the Bucks can take all this information about what they were being offered and what those teams thought about their own assets into the offseason.

Whether or not the Bucks ever truly look to trade Giannis will depend on their ability to build this roster into something special and him actually requesting a trade. This summer, the Bucks will be aggressive in their pursuit of talent, and they could retain their first-round pick to add a young, dynamic player at the top of the draft.

As long as Giannis is in a Bucks uniform, this organization will have a chance to build something special.

James Harden

James Harden is now on his fifth team in the last six seasons after being traded from the Clippers to the Cavs. Will this be Harden’s final stop before retirement?

Nobody really knows, but the main reason why he’s happy going to Cleveland is that he can opt out of his contract in the offseason and get a new two-year deal at the price he wants. Not to mention, he goes from a Clippers team that wasn’t going anywhere in the West to joining Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley on a Cavs team with serious title aspirations.

Cleveland was very busy at the trade deadline, cutting some costs and adding talent around their stars, which sets this team up to pursue LeBron James and other superstars in the offseason, should they choose to do so. Perhaps they could even get in the mix for Giannis should the Bucks “entertain” trade offers for him again.

Although Harden is not known for his defense, his offensive skills will elevate the Cavs more than Garland could. He will also take a lot of pressure off Mitchell to have to do everything for this offense, which should help this team remain off the injury report heading into the postseason.

Harden finds himself in a position to contend for a championship at the end of his career, which is his ultimate goal.

Anyone who traded with the Bulls

What are the Chicago Bulls doing? It seems like the Bulls keep trading their players well past their value expires, and as a result, this team is left gathering scraps for really good players.

Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Kevin Huerter, Dalen Terry, and Julian Phillips were all moved by the Bulls at the deadline. All Chicago got back was nine second-round picks, extra cash, and too many guards who can’t all play together.

Anfernee Simons, Jaden Ivey, Collin Sexton, and Rob Dillingham are all good players, but how can the Bulls possibly think they can fit in alongside Josh Giddey and Tre Jones? Half of the players on this roster are guards, and the Bulls got ZERO first-round picks for any of their players.

On the other side of things, every team that traded with the Bulls got better.

The Celtics are real title threats after adding a former All-Star in Vucevic at center. The Detroit Pistons have furthered their championship aspirations with a big sharpshooter in Huerter. The Timberwolves, who were in dire need of backcourt help, get a dynamic, athletic two-way guard in Dosunmu. And then the Charlotte Hornets added arguably Chicago’s best scorer, White, for future second-round picks that will be used on kids who are either currently freshmen in high school or in eighth grade.

Every single team that made a trade with the Bulls came away with exactly what they wanted, and they did so by sacrificing little value.

The Bulls may have a lot of cap space in the summer, but there’s no denying that they have no clear path in front of them to be competitive anytime soon.

Sam Presti… Again

Once again, the rich are richer after the NBA trade deadline. Nobody ever knows what the Oklahoma City Thunder have planned since Sam Presti moves in silence and in the shadows, yet they always come away from everything they do as major winners.

This was true in their championship run last year, it was true during the 2025 NBA Draft, and now it’s true after the trade deadline.

The Thunder traded Ousmane Dieng, four second-round picks, and a 2026 first-round pick for Jared McCain from the Philadelphia 76ers, a player who was in contention for Rookie of the Year last season before he suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Second-round picks are irrelevant to Presti, especially since the Thunder are tied for the most first-round picks in the league over the next several years, and the 2026 pick that was sent to Philadelphia was the Houston Rockets’ pick. If the draft were today, that pick would be the 23rd overall selection, so the Thunder basically gave up little to no value for a guy who can immediately contribute to their championship goals.

Now that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is out indefinitely with an abdominal injury, McCain will receive clear playing time for the defending champions.

Somehow, some way, every team in the league keeps getting fleeced by Presti and his magic.

The post 2026 NBA trade deadline: Wizards, Bucks, James Harden headline biggest winners appeared first on ClutchPoints.

“We made a monumental trade to land James Harden,” Cavs president Koby Altman said during a media call on Thursday. “We think that he raises our ceiling and gives us a chance to have real playoff success. James is a top-75 player of all time, one of the greatest players in NBA history that’s still playing at an elite level. He gives us a different look in the backcourt. He’s 6-5, and he gets downhill, and he is ninth in the league in drives. He’s strong. He’s creative.

“I think he’s going to be great for our bigs. I also know that Donovan [Mitchell]’s excited to play alongside him. Obviously, this is not a trade that we took lightly. But we do know that James is going to help us, and so we’re excited to welcome him. Obviously, adding Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis, adding to our depth, our defensive prowess, we really felt like we got a lot better in this deadline. I’ll say this: It is very rare to improve your team and save $100 million at the same time.”

Additionally, Cleveland is planning to convert Nae’Qwan Tomlin’s two-way contract into a standard one; Luke Travers was also waived on Sunday to make room for Miller, a two-way forward who came from the Chicago Bulls in the three-team deal with the Sacramento Kings.

So, collectively, how did the trade deadline go for the wine and gold? Let’s break down the moves and analyze Altman’s rationale for each.

Cavs acquire James Harden, trade Darius Garland, 2026 second-rounder to Clippers

One way or another, we’re going to find out if Harden’s presence gives the Cavs a “different dimension,” as head coach Kenny Atkinson put it. There’s no questioning the resume: top-75 NBA player in history, 11-time All-Star, former MVP (and annual candidate). Harden is inarguably one of the greatest isolation talents the league has ever seen. He is also the quintessential big-man whisperer, with a proven track record of buoying pick-and-roll partners at each of his stops.

“Look at his game logs,” Altman said, emphasizing Harden’s stout 6-foot-5, 220-pound frame. “How many games has he missed? Played 79 games last year at 35 minutes a night. That’s a lot. And he’s still doing it at such a high level. So he’s extremely durable, and, knock on wood, for us as well. I think the guys that are playing at this level, at this age, it’s truly remarkable. It’s rare, but it’s done.

“You still see a Kevin Durant playing at a remarkable level, a Stephen Curry playing at an incredible level. Even LeBron James, to use his name. These are guys that are elite at their craft. They get better as they age, almost. They take care of their bodies, and that’s why they’re top-50, top-75 players of all-time. Yes, it is certainly older in terms of Darius, but we’re getting a player that’s playing at an elite level that’s always available, that loves to hoop, and is highly motivated.”

Altman shared that Harden’s representation and the Clippers first contacted Cleveland several weeks ago to discuss an opportunity. The 36-year-old pinpointed the Cavs as a destination that would allow him to thrive alongside Mitchell and a young, maturing roster and go after the Larry O’Brien trophy that’s evaded him in his 17-year career.

“That’s the ultimate goal, to try to get to a conference finals, a Finals, and win a championship,” Altman said, referring to Harden as an offensive engine. “We think without a doubt that James raises our level. James Harden has never missed the playoffs in his career. Think about that. Sixteen years. James has played in 173 playoff games. Over 6,000 minutes logged of playoff basketball. Playing at an elite level this year. That helps us. That was the reason.

“He knows this is the last piece to his legacy, and he sees a great chance with us. But he is also a savant. He thinks about things. He’s already gone deep into the depth chart of what we can do and different lineups we can put out there. It’s really exciting.”

Harden carries a poise that Altman anticipates helps in the postseason. When opponents take away Mitchell and primary actions, the Cavs will rely on his new backcourt partner as a counter.

“Really excited about when it gets to a chaotic time in the playoffs and we’re on the road, and there’s a fever pitch, being able to throw the ball to him and calm this thing down,” Altman said. Let’s get a good possession, right? Let’s get a good possession when it gets really, really tight, and it’s loud in that building.

“We’ve gone to the playoffs the last few years largely as a young team, not a very experienced playoff team, trying to figure it out. Now, I think we’re adding just a tremendous amount of experience and know-how.”

Cleveland dove deep into Harden’s teams that fell short of their goals in the past. Surveying those 173 games, the front office and coaching staff concluded that there were really only five that went badly, and they feel he wishes he had the poor elimination games back.

“It’s hard being the No. 1 option on a championship-level team,” Altman said. “I think the good news for him is he has another No. 1 option right next to him. He has incredible shooting around him. He has two incredible bigs from a defensive standpoint and skill set that really help him. And so, it’s not James coming in here as the No. 1 option, having to carry a team on his back and beat the 73-win Golden State Warrior world beaters, right?

“That’s not what we’re asking him to be here. So he elevates us, and we’re not putting that burden on him like it’s been in the past.”

Asked about Harden’s expiring contract, Altman believes Cleveland will be in the driver’s seat post-Finals, and that he wants a future with the Cavs. Altman mentioned that Harden has an opt-out in his current deal, which subsequently includes a no-trade clause that he waived to be there.

“I think that’s something that needs to be spoken about,” Altman said. “He had control of where he’d be traded or not traded, and he sought us out as a destination, a basketball destination, leaving lovely Los Angeles and an incredible basketball situation where he was at — to where he wants to be to compete for a championship.

“I’ve been banging this drum for a long time: Cleveland’s a great basketball destination. You can have some of the best years of your career here, and guys want to play here. One of the best players to ever put on a jersey wants to be here in Cleveland, and I think it’s a privilege. I think it’s a privilege and honor that we’re going to see James surpass a bunch of milestones as he chases this championship ring with us.”

If this pays off, it will be one of the shrewdest swaps in NBA history, but despite the Cavs’ understandable infatuation with Harden, it is fair to raise questions.

What will the dynamic with Mitchell look like when the ball is tipped? It seems redundant, even more so than with the shifty Garland.

Does Harden’s style of play fit in with a faster-paced, young Cleveland group? Altman understands the coaches will have to adapt to him, so that remains to be seen.

Will he spurn the Cavs if things go awry? Harden’s track record indicates it won’t end ceremoniously, despite Altman and Ty Lue’s insistence that his LA exit was amicable and professional.

Who’s to say this is the superstar team-up that finally works for him? With all the talent he’s played with, Harden has not reached the NBA Finals since he was in Oklahoma City.

Is this accelerating the process too quickly to the point of no return? Cleveland will have to figure this season out in 30 short games, and beyond that, maximize the talent around Harden and Mitchell while keeping a happy home. Whether tongue-in-cheek or not, Altman’s response to a question about the deal’s effect on the locker room says it all about the urgency with which the Cavs are acting.

“Maybe too much harmony, right? Maybe we do need to shake it up,” Altman said. “But no, we have great guys, great culture pieces.”

Cavs acquire Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder, trade De’Andre Hunter to Kings

Unlike Harden, who is expected to make his debut on Saturday in Sacramento, the Cavs have witnessed what Schroder and Ellis can do. In their debuts, both showed why the move was made last weekend.

“I think you saw how Dennis showed a fit right in and Keon fit in to what we’re trying to do,” Altman said. “Dennis gives us a different dynamic, downhill driver,” Altman said. “I mean, [Wednesday] night we just lived in the paint, which just puts a lot of pressure on the defense. We just didn’t have that this year outside of Darius and Donovan. So him getting downhill was really important for us.

“Keon is a really nice piece for us. Catch and shoot, can play 2, 3, can guard up, deflections, steals. I think you saw some of that. A wonderful, wonderful person.”

Between his playoff experiences and international reputation, Altman knows Schroder will add tenacity to the squad.

“Dennis raises his level at the highest level,” Altman said. “When things get tight and the stakes are the highest, that’s when Dennis raises his level. Dennis won a 2023 FIBA World Cup MVP, and then won the MVP for the 2025 EuroBasket last year. There’s like a handful of guys that’s ever done that.

“He’s real when it comes to competitive basketball. Those games internationally are one-and-done, too. And so, I love being able to add him to our playoff mix just because of his competitive level. Kenny and him go back. Kenny coached him. We’ve tracked his career closely. This fit right now, this year, for the Cavs, he makes a lot of sense.”

Altman alluded to Schroder and Craig Porter Jr. as “menaces” together in their first on-court action together. Consequently, Porter’s summer workout buddy Jaylon Tyson has emerged as a Rising Star and Most Improved Player candidate. Altman declared his rapid development had a role in trading away Hunter to the Kings.

“De’Andre came in and made an immediate impact, but you always have to look and say, ‘Okay, is this the right fit for us? And this year it just hadn’t been the right fit,” Altman said. “And as a front office, sometimes you don’t bat a thousand percent. And the great thing about Dan [Gilbert] is he allows you [to make moves]. You fail quickly, right? You pivot and figure out what’s a better fit. We’re fortunate in that we were able to pivot and find a better fit for us.”

“Jaylon has been a revelation for us. And so creating a pathway for him to be successful, minutes for him to be successful certainly went into that decision-making process, and we couldn’t be more excited about him. We talk about Evan as our future. We really need to start adding Jaylon Tyson into that conversation.”

Now that Schroder and Ellis have joined Tyson, Porter, and Tomlin as the proverbial tough group, the Cavs are set on turning the tide on their on-court personality.

“I think there’s characteristics that I want, so I want to extrapolate that a little bit,” Altman said. “Kenny wants to play with a different kind of attitude this year: picking up full, deflections, steals, pressuring the ball, getting turns in the back court, pressuring people feeling you on the catch, blowing up screens, blasting through a screen, and making the catch further out.

“We didn’t have the personnel for that. I think one or two guys could do that versus what we have now, when you have five or six guys that can pick up full and guard the ball and create havoc in the back court. And so I think that creates an identity. We’ll see how that evolves over the next 30 games and how much we want to use that as a lever.”

Cavs trade Lonzo Ball, 2028 & 2032 second-round picks to Jazz

There’s nothing to go too in-depth here with. Ball, unfortunately, didn’t work out, so much so that Cleveland had to attach its last remaining future second-round picks to get the Utah Jazz to absorb his $10 million contract. Executing this trade allows the Cavs to promote Tomlin to the squad full-time, as he has rightfully earned.

“Not only is he getting converted, but he’s playing real minutes, and he’s helping us,” Altman said. “So he’s been a revelation. I think, hopefully, it’s a great problem to have when we’re all healthy, and we have to figure it out.”

Cavs trade deadline grade: B-

Overall, the Cavs improved in the short term and ensured flexibility on the salary books going into the summer. That part of the trade deadline, especially the second, was a job well done. Post-All-Star break, the Cavs will only have five players who are 6-foot-8 or taller. Personally, length matters more than height to me in the current landscape, but it still stands out in roster construction among opponents.

Adding Schroder and Ellis to the mix to lean into a fresh, rugged nature was a smart move. As good as Harden is, and probably will be, I can’t help but proceed with caution, at least right now.

Plugging and playing is more for role guys than it is for stars, in my opinion. If the goal is to win a championship as soon as possible, historically, organizations that have made these kinds of home-run swings at the deadline have not won titles in the same season. Very rarely have they been the last team standing, period.

I do understand moving on from Garland, but it feels like it’s only the first domino to fall. If they don’t get the job done this year, count on Altman and his front office to wheel and deal for a roster fit for a championship.

For some reason, whatever we grade the Cavs’ trade deadline in 2026 feels incomplete.

Cleveland’s timeline has kicked into fifth gear. There’s no going back now.

The post Cavs 2026 NBA trade deadline grade after James Harden, Keon Ellis, Dennis Schroder deals appeared first on ClutchPoints.

At the end of the day, Tyson apologized to anyone whom he may have offended with his remark. Nonetheless, it doesn’t seem as though his comments were too big of a deal anyway. At least to former Cavs guard JR Smith, who suited up alongside James in Cleveland’s 2016 title-winning squad, Tyson’s proclamation didn’t even warrant any further discussion among his contemporaries.

“Nah [it didn’t make it to the group chat.] Nobody said nothing about it. Certain stuff, you just let it go. God bless his soul,” Smith said in an appearance on the Run It Back show on FanDuel TV.

JR Smith says Jaylon Tyson's "Cleveland is Donovan Mitchell's city" quote didn't make it to the 2016 Cavs group chat

"Certain stuff, you just let it go. God bless his soul."@MichelleDBeadle | @TeamLou23 | @boogiecousins | @TheRealJRSmith pic.twitter.com/qcl04kzDZ9

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 5, 2026

Those Cavs are world champions, and they know that no one even comes close to James’ legacy with the franchise. And what Tyson said didn’t even contain a sliver of malice, so this wasn’t much of a story to begin with anyway.

Donovan Mitchell looks to lead Cavs to the promised land

The Cavs’ decision to trade Darius Garland for James Harden signals one thing and one thing alone: they are looking to win a title within the next year or so what with Harden being 36 years of age.

It will all boil down to Mitchell being able to exorcise his team’s playoff demons and getting them over the hump. He’s 29 years old and he’s in the middle of his prime, and if he manages to get the Cavs another title, then Cleveland certainly could be his city.

The post JR Smith responds to Cavs forward Jaylon Tyson’s bold Donovan Mitchell declaration appeared first on ClutchPoints.

“He was right, and he is right,” Lue said on Wednesday. “It means that he is the system, meaning he can make everybody better. A lot of people — coaches, myself — go into it like, ‘How can I make these guys better, make the team better?’

“It started in Houston, being able to play his own style of game, and it’s worked. He played at a high level. To be able to score the basketball, get guys easy three-point shots, make all the bigs he’s played with, make ’em better. Like he said, he is a system.”

Hearing Lue’s comments, it’s fitting that Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson’s first call after the move was with former Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni. Mulling over tactics and ways Cleveland can use the 11-time All-Star creatively, the legendary offensive mind told him that Harden and Steve Nash were two of his favorites ever.

“Obviously, James has been great with the Clippers and Ty’s system, but I do think with Mike and that Houston team, that was his pinnacle of his powers,” Atkinson said. “So we’d be foolish not to talk to Mike, not to go back and look at the Houston years and see what we can implement.”

That version of Harden was an MVP candidate every season and a top-five player in the NBA. A high-minute, high-usage scoring phenom, an ironman who got to the free-throw line at will, took every opportunity to utilize his patented dancing stepback from the wings, and involved his guys to the point where they were earning lucrative paydays.

This version of Harden may be older, but he’s wiser, calmer, and more cerebral. At 36 years old, he’s still capable of dropping 50 on your head or dishing out double-digit assists on any given night. Whatever the game calls for, the surefire Basketball Hall of Famer can deliver. That’s what appeals to the Cavs, who have rapidly accelerated the gears to fifth wheel drive in pursuit of a Larry O’Brien trophy.

“I think our ceiling is definitely obviously higher when you have a guy like James Harden,” Mitchell said. “When you look at it, it’s like, alright, cool, we know what he brings. But then also with that, there’s an expectation. There’s an understanding of this is what we’ve got to do… Sometimes the front office makes moves, and now it’s on us to execute. We weren’t able to get it done for the past three years, and now our goal is to try to get it done now. That’s the biggest goal.

“I think for us, we’ve got to go out there and put our best foot forward each night. It’s not gonna always be pretty. You make a move at the deadline, there’s gonna be bumps in the road. But for us, this is the time and we’ve got to go out there and do it.”

A huge part of Harden’s allure is what he’s done for big men. It’s a list that includes Clint Capela at his best in Houston, Joel Embiid as an MVP candidate in Philadelphia, and former LA teammate Ivica Zubac recently with the Clippers. The expectation is that Harden will elevate Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen exponentially.

“What is he averaging, 25 and 8? I think the biggest thing I’m excited for is what he’s gonna be able to do for JA and Ev,” Mitchell said. “Obviously for myself and him and what he’s doing for the team, but a guy that can get into the paint, manipulate the game, get the bigs involved, obviously score at the rate that he does, find guys.

“And then you add Dennis [Schroder] and Keon [Ellis] to the mix and what they’re able to bring on top of what we already have. Jaylon Tyson’s been phenomenal. Sam Merrill. Get Max [Strus] back. There’s just so many pieces that we can continue to improve on.”

Mitchell and Atkinson both connected with Harden right away to discuss the possibilities.

“We’re a darn good pick-and-roll team as is, and now you add one of the greatest ever; I hope it just elevates it even more,” Atkinson said. “I’m not sure where we’re ranked — I’m sure we’re ranked pretty high — but he changes the equation. I think that’s what we’re excited [about] too. He’ll elevate our bigs. He makes others better, right? He’ll make Sam Merrill better. He’ll make Max Strus better.

“When you watch his film, what really stands out is the passing. I know everybody talks about iso and pick-and-roll, but he’s a great, great passer. I can’t wait to see how he interacts with our two talented bigs.”

However, right now, instead of strictly focusing on game plans and X’s and O’s, it’s about cultivating a relationship. They want to get his feet wet with who the Cavs are as an organization. Then, it’ll be off to the races to determine how to maximize not only the new veteran duo but also the supporting cast.

“Great players fit together usually,” Atkinson said. “It’s rare that it doesn’t work. It’s up to us as coaches, and collaborating with Donovan and James, and how that looks. What do the rotations look [like], how do we stagger ’em, how do we play when each is alone on the court, how do we play when they’re together. That’s all things to figure out.

“But usually when you have such talented players, I can’t emphasize this enough, high-IQ players, it makes it a heck of a lot easier for the coaching staff to figure out.”

Atkinson is certain that Mitchell’s “selfless” nature will make Harden’s transition to Cleveland smooth.

“James doesn’t have to come and serve Donovan,” Atkinson said. “Donovan’s gonna reach his hand out, and they’re gonna collaborate. That’s gonna be part of this dynamic: how they work as leaders together. Donovan is the first one to take a step back to elevate someone else. He did it with Evan. He did it with Darius. And I’m sure with James, he’ll do the same thing. But he also knows when he’s got to take over a game. He’s got a nice balance.”

“When you add a guy like James, who knows how to play this game at a high level, the sky’s the limit,” Mitchell added. “But the biggest thing is, it’s not just you go out there [and it works immediately]; it’s not plug and play. We’re not gonna come out here and just be like, alright, it’s fixed (snaps finger). It’s gonna take time, take reps, take conversations, and I think we’re all open to that and continue to get better.”

Once the trade was official, Atkinson pondered over what his personal potential synergy with Harden could look like.

“I’ll probably call less plays,” Atkinson said. “When you’re around great players, you take a step back and empower them. I anticipate that happening. Obviously, got to get to know James better. And what’s great about this, I look forward to learning from him.

“When you’re around the great players, you end up getting more, extracting more from them than maybe they get from you. So I think we’re gonna have a great collaborative relationship. Obviously, coach him hard when I need to coach him, but again, I think with the great ones, you step back, and you let them be themselves.”

Dennis Schroder jokes about past competition with James Harden

Schroder made a noticeable first impression with the Cavs in his debut in LA, scoring 11 points, recording 6 assists, and nabbing 3 steals in 19 minutes of action. As a newcomer, he is excited about the team’s potential. Harden will only help iron sharpen iron.

“Great group of guys,” Schroder said. “[Held LA to] under 50 points at half. I think we didn’t have that in Sac for a long time. So, really competitive group who wants to play defense and then shares the ball on offense, wants to play fast. I love it. I feel comfortable already.

We’ve just got to keep going and keep getting better every single day, every game. Of course, James is gonna come and we’ll do the same thing with him, come together. And I think we’re gonna be in a good place.”

With a reputation for ruffling feathers, Schroder joked that he’ll have a minor conflict to resolve with Harden from their days as foes.

“He’s a future Hall-of-Famer, one of the best who ever played this game,” Schroder said. “I’m 32, but I can still learn and try to pick up the best things from him. I used to trash-talk him a lot, so we’ve got to work that out first (laughs). It’s nothing bad. We was just competing. He knows that I’m always doing it to impact the game. I mean, we played cards in the Bubble back in the day, so it’s cool. Probably gonna talk about it one time, and then it’s over.”

“But we’re gonna, I think, fit very well. I’ve played with a lot of future Hall-of-Famers in my career and had a three-guard lineup as well before in OKC with Chris Paul and Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander], and we made it work, so let’s see how it’s gonna be here.”

Atkinson could lean toward that approach with Schroder and Harden in particular lineups.

“I think I see his role similar to what we saw [Wednesday],” Atkinson said. “Obviously, the defensive pressure and downhill ability. But absolutely, I could see him and James playing together. I could see him, James, and Donovan playing together. You remember when Dennis was in Oklahoma City, and they had the three-guard offense.”

The post How James Harden’s partnership with Donovan Mitchell could finally push Cavs to ‘mountaintop’ appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Thomas is a prolific scorer, but he was not happy in Brooklyn. According to ClutchPoints Nets reporter Erik Slater, Thomas turned down multiple contract offers from the Nets. If money was not the concern for Thomas, then it’s expected that he would want to join a team on a much better path than the Nets, who are far from competing for a championship.

Thomas appeared in only 24 games for the Nets this season, averaging 15.6 points per game. Last season, Thomas averaged 24 points per game in only 25 games before an injury. In 2023, he averaged 22.3 points and appeared in 66 games. There is no doubt that Thomas can score the rock when healthy.

The Nets sidelined Thomas to not risk an injury, and the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers showed interest in the shooting guard. Ultimately, both teams decided to take a chance on the open market. Likely, both the Bucks and Cavs are still interested in Thomas, and there could be a few others as well.

Let’s take a look at the three best destinations for the former first-round pick, in no order.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks are the most confusing team in the NBA right now. The Giannis Antetokounmpo drama has taken over the league, but the Bucks decided to keep the superstar in Milwaukee for the rest of the season. At this point, nobody knows if he will ever be traded.

Rumors have surfaced that Antetokounmpo will be shut down for the rest of the season. If that is the case, then Thomas could come in and be a major scoring threat for the Bucks. Even if Giannis continues to play this season, the Bucks can make the playoffs, but they need to turn things around. Thomas can help with that. The Bucks are currently three games back of a Play-In spot.

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics need a guard after trading away Anfernee Simons to the Chicago Bulls. As of right now, the Celtics have Derrick White and Payton Pritchard as the two main guards, with Jaylen Brown playing the three. Joe Mazzulla sent Pritchard back to the bench, where he excels as a much better scoring threat. Cam Thomas, alongside Pritchard off the bench, would be huge for this team. Jayson Tatum is aiming to make his return to the floor, which would give this team a chance to win another NBA Finals.

The Celtics cannot trust Hugo Gonzales, Baylor Scheierman, and Ron Harper Jr. to be called upon to be a consistent scorer off the bench. Thomas would be a huge upgrade.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers have reshaped the roster after trading away Darius Garland for James Harden. Thomas could come to The Land and be a big part of the revamp of the team. The Cavs are playing very well right now and have room for a guard on the roster. Jaylon Tyson has balled out this season, averaging 14.0 points per game, but he will remain a huge part of the team’s success. With Sam Merrill healthy, the Cavs could form a dominant bench with three legit threats. Adding Thomas would give them a ton of depth as they try to work their way back to the Finals.

The post 3 best Cam Thomas destinations after Nets waive him post-NBA trade deadline appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Thomas’ Nets future had been in question since the offseason, when he failed to reach a contract extension and signed his $6 million qualifying offer. The fifth-year guard reportedly turned down a two-year, $30 million contract featuring a team option. He also turned down a one-year, $9.5 million deal, which would have required him to waive his no-trade clause.

With his no-trade clause still intact, Thomas would have had to agree to any trade before Thursday’s 3PM deadline.

Cam Thomas set to hit free agency after being waived by Nets at trade deadline

Thomas flashed elite scoring ability throughout his Nets tenure, averaging 21.4 points on .434/.353/.860 shooting splits over the last three seasons. However, his defensive struggles and playmaking limitations prevented Brooklyn from making a long-term commitment to him.

Thomas has averaged 3.1 assists per game over the last three seasons despite ranking towards the top of the NBA in usage rate. The Nets’ defense was 6.7 points worse per 100 possessions during his minutes this season, the ninth-worst mark among 85 guards who have played over 500 minutes, per CleaningTheGlass.

Brooklyn’s most successful stretch this season came after Thomas was sidelined by a hamstring injury, his fourth of the last year. The Nets started 0-7 with the NBA’s worst defensive rating with Thomas as a starter. However, they posted a 9-12 record with the NBA’s sixth-best defense following his hamstring injury.

Thomas moved to Brooklyn’s bench upon his return. He averaged 12.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists on 39.8 percent shooting from the field and 30.6 percent from three over his last 16 appearances.

The former first-round pick will now canvass the market for his next opportunity. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks have expressed interest in Thomas over the last week.

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“We were out there, I talked to him, came in here, we talked to him. That’s still our brother,” Mitchell said postgame on Wednesday. “This is just the business side of it. We dealt with it last year with Caris and Georges and now DG, but it’s bigger than just basketball. This is the brotherhood.

“For him to be able to watch us, for him to be able to come out there and talk to us and chop it up speaks to the connectivity we had here. That’s a guy who will forever be our brother.”

To a man, Cleveland’s roster, from players to coaches, walked over to send best wishes to Garland, his family, and his circle.

Great moment after @cavs win in LA as all of Darius Garland’s buddies say goodbye. Classy. good luck 10. pic.twitter.com/7jgm25xOnd

— Chris Rose (@ChrisRose) February 5, 2026

“I have the utmost respect for all of those guys over there in that organization,” Garland said at his introductory press conference with the Clippers. “I’ve got a lot of love for everybody over there. But basketball is a business, and that’s part of it.

“Seven years was a really long time, and it was great, and I’m glad I’m here now. It’s a new journey, the next chapter in my book. See where it’s going to take me.”

Following Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman’s statement on Wednesday, team chairman Dan Gilbert offered a similar parting message on X.

“Seven years ago, a young leader arrived in Cleveland,” Gilbert posted. “Since then, [Garland] grew into a two-time All-Star and a cornerstone of the [Cavs] return to relevance. His heart, growth, and leadership gave this city unforgettable moments that will always matter. Thank you, Darius. Best of luck to you in the rest of your career in this league.”

“Took a leap of faith drafting me fifth over five games of college basketball,” Garland said. “They really took a leap of faith drafting me, so I really appreciate them for everything. Cleveland was great to me and my family.”

In just one-and-a-half years with him, Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson already considers Garland “one of my favorites ever.”

“I’m a point guard at heart. A little point guard at heart,” Atkinson explained. “So you have an affinity for those guys. We had a special connection. I really respected how he played the game as a pure point guard who could get you 30 on a given night. Loved his passing. And I loved the person.

“We just clicked. You click with certain players; we clicked right away. I’ll never forget last season. You could argue he was the guy, end of games, that was taking over for us and winning. He won a ton of games for us, was an All-Star. I just will always be close to him.”

On the bus ride over to the arena, Atkinson knew that it would be weird. When the ball was tipped, the competition began, and the Cavs handled their business. Then, postgame, that strange feeling came back.

“I still have emotions. I’m still attached to the person and the player,” Atkinson said after Cleveland’s blowout victory. “I just saw him in the hallway as I came to the press conference. That’s the part I don’t feel great about. You can’t. I love that we’re getting James Harden. We made some tweaks, and we’re trying to get better, but I have a soft spot in my heart for him. Love him as a player, love him as a person. I hope I get to coach him again at some point.”

“It’s been a lot,” Mitchell said. “It’s felt like we haven’t played like forever, to be honest. It’s just so much that’s gone on. For us as a group, the fact that we came out here and did what we did was impressive.”

Darius Garland, Cavs have no hard feelings

Each side ultimately understands that going their separate ways isn’t personal.

“This is nothing against a DG or a Dre [Hunter] or nothing like that; this is just part of it,” said Mitchell, who is thrilled for Garland to work with Ty Lue and Kawhi Leonard’s championship pedigree. “Sometimes the front office makes moves, and now it’s on us to execute. We weren’t able to get it done for the past three years, and now our goal is to try to get it done now. That’s the biggest goal. I think everybody in this locker room understands that.

“I have no doubt what he’ll bring here to LA; it’s gonna be really positive. This is bigger than just basketball. I have no doubt he’ll have a lot of success here. People don’t notice him ’cause they don’t watch Cleveland as much, but that progression, even before I got here, that just shows the level that he is [at]. He’ll do a lot of big things here. Clipper Nation should be excited.”

Of course, Atkinson shares the same sentiment about Garland.

“He pushes the pace. He sets the pace. He sets the tone on how your group gets to offense. He’s really a pure point guard,” Atkinson said. “I’m sure that’s what Ty loves about him. He’s really a way underrated passer. He’s in the lane all the time, can pass with both hands, knows how to feed bigs. Obviously, you’ve got Kawhi here, but he’ll be the head of the snake in terms of pure point guard play.

Admitting that he knew a trade was coming, Garland isn’t shocked over it. Still, this is the first time he’s gone through the process.

“Last 48 hours has been crazy,” Garland said. “The trade happened, and I was already here, so it wasn’t that big of a move. It was pretty easy for me. Just switched hotels, basically (laughs). That was pretty easy. Getting to the facility, coming to the arena, being around everybody, meeting new faces, meeting new people, it’s super cool. I few like the new kid at school, so just try to get acclimated and get kinda comfortable.

“Just getting to know everybody. Seeing some of my guys here that I see a lot during the workouts during the summertime, just being here, having my time here. So I’m super excited [about] being here, super excited about being with the team. It’s a beautiful arena. New energy, new crowd. I’m super excited.”

Garland turns the page on his Cavs days with the respect and admiration of everybody in the organization.

“My relationship with Darius, it’s kind of a tough day,” Atkinson said. “But the positive is he’s coming to the Clippers, and he’s gonna be with Ty. So I expect him to be great here, and I’m rooting for him. Got a great coaching staff, darn good organization. He’s gonna be in a really good place here.”

“They said, statistically, he was the worst basketball player in the NBA [as a rookie] — statistically,” Mitchell added, ensuring his words don’t get twisted. “To go from that to being an All-Star… He comes into the league not playing many college games because he got hurt. You get thrown into the league in a situation that’s not necessarily a winning situation. For the mental for him to come in and now he turns into a two-time All-Star, turns into a guy who’s averaging 20 and 8, that speaks to him. He’s gonna do phenomenal things here.”

The post Donovan Mitchell, Cavs close chapter with Darius Garland: ‘Forever our brother’ appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Cleveland recently reshaped its roster by acquiring James Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers and adding Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis in a deal with the Sacramento Kings. The activity prompted Smith, a key member of the Cavaliers’ 2016 NBA championship team, to weigh in on James’ future during the latest episode of FanDuel’s Run It Back.

“I mean this is speculation. I don’t know. This is all speculation, but we still got our group chat and all that. We still talk, but honestly, this is my opinion, but I think he goes back to Cleveland next year,” Smith said. “Rides it out. Rides into the sunset. I don’t think this is his last year. I think he doesn’t have to keep playing, but I still think he has a lot left in the tank to where he’s very impactful. Especially to a team like Cleveland with the pieces they already have.”

Smith emphasized that his comments were purely speculative, but noted that he remains close with James and believes a return to Cleveland could serve both competitive and sentimental purposes. Smith and James were teammates during Cleveland’s historic 2016 championship run, when the Cavaliers overcame a 3–1 deficit to defeat the Golden State Warriors and deliver the franchise’s first NBA title.

JR Smith suggests LeBron James could leave Lakers for Cavaliers reunion

James, now 41, continues to perform at a high level in his 23rd NBA season. He is averaging 22.0 points, 6.6 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 50.9% from the field and 32.2% from three-point range across 32 games, logging 33 minutes per contest. Despite ongoing questions about his long-term future, James has shown little sign of significant decline.

Cleveland, meanwhile, has surged following its recent transactions. The Cavaliers improved to 31-21 after a 121-91 win over the Clippers on Wednesday night, moving into fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. They will continue a five-game road trip Saturday night against the Sacramento Kings (12-40) at 10:00 p.m. ET.

James remains under contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, who sit sixth in the Western Conference at 30-19. Los Angeles is preparing to open an eight-game homestand Thursday night against the Philadelphia 76ers (29-21) at 10:00 p.m. ET.

While no indications have surfaced that a move is imminent, Smith’s comments added to ongoing league-wide intrigue surrounding how and where James might choose to conclude a career that has already included four championships, four MVP awards and one of the most memorable titles in NBA history with Cleveland.

The post JR Smith speculates that LeBron James returns to Cavaliers appeared first on ClutchPoints.

“It was great,” Hunter told SacTown Sports in a scrum after the first practice with his new team. “I enjoyed my time. I think it was a little short, but I definitely enjoyed it. It’s a business. You’ve just got to roll with the punches.”

In 70 games with Cleveland, Hunter averaged 14.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in just under 26 minutes a night. He shot 44.5% from the floor with a 35.2% clip from long distance.

Unfortunately, this season didn’t work out the way either party intended it to when the Cavs traded for the 28-year-old forward at this time one year ago. It looked like Hunter was going to be a key cog right off the bat, nailing every triple in sight, breaking down opponents off the dribble, and covering a ton of space with his length defensively.

After rolling in the Miami Heat series, Hunter broke his thumb against the Indiana Pacers on a hard foul from Bennedict Mathurin; he wasn’t himself even when he played through it. This summer, the Cavs were adamant that Hunter would be the last piece of the puzzle in the starting five. His size, offensive ability, and physicality were thought to complement the Core Four, and Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson was adamant on getting to know him better in the offseason.

Following a star-like training camp, Hunter hurt his knee in the preseason finale against the Detroit Pistons and was behind the 8-ball. He missed the first two games of the season, then played 21 of the next 23 contests as a Cavs starter. After a rough December beginning, Atkinson and Hunter mutually decided it was best for him to come off the bench.

Although the role adjustment paid off initially, Hunter just never found his rhythm, and his minute count was dipping. Besides the shot-making downturn, his turnovers and decision-making were unrecognizable. Atkinson felt it was because he played with different lineups featuring younger players that he didn’t share the floor with last year. The emergence of Jaylon Tyson and Nae’Qwan Tomlin likely had a part in Hunter’s role changing as well.

“I was hurt,” Tyson said of learning about the trade. “I was super close to Dre. He’s like a brother to me now; almost a year it’s been with him. He’s a great player. Excited for him and his new journey, and hope everything goes well.”

The Cavs know that Hunter is better than what he showed, and Atkinson even admitted that it was circumstantial.

“That’s my dawg. I love him,” Cleveland All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell said Sunday. “We all wish him the best, and he was a hell of a player for us, hell of a player in general. Sometimes, things happen. This is the business. He’s a pro’s pro. He understands it. He works his butt off. I have no doubt he’s gonna continue that.”

“From our side, we work in the business,” Jarrett Allen added. “But when you make these personal connections, it’s always hard to see somebody that you’ve been playing even a year with; that’s a long time in the NBA. It’s hard to see him go.”

Despite a foul-heavy, nine-point debut for the Kings against the Memphis Grizzlies, Hunter feels good about coming into a Sacramento situation with good energy. With a clean slate, does he feel like he has something to prove?

“I wouldn’t say to that extent, but I have my own expectations,” Hunter said. “I feel like my own expectations are higher than what anyone else expects of me, so I just try to hold myself to a standard, and I’m usually good with that.”

The post De’Andre Hunter describes Cavs experience after Kings trade appeared first on ClutchPoints.

To that end, the Cavs may end up being even more aggressive on the trade market — somehow finding themselves right in the mix for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who remains a likely trade candidate amid the Milwaukee Bucks’ bleak short-term future outlook.

Trading Garland, however, is another thing entirely compared to what it would take to bring Antetokounmpo, with the Bucks likely to demand all the draft capital in the world in addition to 24-year-old and reigning DPOY Evan Mobley.

While there are no concrete indicators that the Cavs might be willing to trade Mobley for Antetokounmpo, being open to the possibility could vault Cleveland atop the list of suitors for the Bucks star.

“What if they offered Evan Mobley, their 2031 first-round pick, and a 2032 first-round swap? That package right there is probably better than anything you could find on the market because Evan Mobley would fetch you at least three, maybe even four first round picks on the market right now,” ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel said on the Clutch Scoops show.

2/4/26 — Anthony Davis to Wizards? Giannis next? Latest NBA intel w/ @TomerAzarly & @BrettSiegelNBA https://t.co/q5u711kP4Z

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 4, 2026

Cavs face significant hurdles in any potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade

For starters, even with the Cavs having shed plenty of salary with their dealings these past few days, they remain above the second apron. This means that they can only acquire players who are making equal or less money than their current players, and they cannot aggregate players to bring in someone who’s making more.

A straight-up Mobley for Antetokounmpo swap is impossible because of this. They have to dump Max Strus first to do so, but it’s not quite clear if the Cavs have the assets to get off of his contract in the first place.

The post NBA rumors: Evan Mobley could be key to Cavs’ all-in Giannis Antetokounmpo trade push appeared first on ClutchPoints.

After hearing Cleveland’s thoughts on the deal, both spoke after their first practice with the team.

“I think it’s great,” Schroder told reporters on Tuesday afternoon. “First practice. A lot of new things. But we’re really excited, Keon and me, to be with a team that competes on a day-to-day basis every night, getting out and competing at the highest level to get a win. We just try to bring that energy as well.”

“Since it’s happened, I’ve watched the last two games,” added Ellis, who admittedly isn’t too familiar with the Cavs. “I mean, I’m just excited to be on a winning team, come in, and contribute. I know they’re trying to win every night, and I think I can help [with] the things that I do. I’m excited to be a part of that.”

Ellis believes his game is “winning basketball,” doing whatever it takes to put the team in that position night in and night out. For Cleveland to have its championship aspirations means a lot to him. There haven’t been any advanced discussions about his role or anything because everybody is still in the introductory stage. Schroder, though, has seen his game up close and personal this season.

“Defensive activity is one of the best in the league,” Schroder said. “I think he is really handsy, getting a lot of deflections, being in the right spots. Offensively, his shooting. But his capabilities on the offensive end, putting it on the floor as well is really underrated. But I think defensively, shooting threes, playing fast, I think Cavs fans can look forward to seeing that.”

“Every night, I’m playing my hardest, trying to do my job at the best extent,” Ellis said. “Being a great teammate. Just trying to win.”

Schroder’s style mirrors that mentality. He’s also known to get under his opponents’ skin.

“I’ve been 13 years in this league as a 6-1 guard, 180 [pounds],” Schroder said. “You need a competitive edge to make it that long in the league, I believe. I’ve been doing it my whole career. When I was young, I always wanted to compete. I always wanted to win. I think this fits well with this team.

“Getting [Jaylon] Tyson, Donovan Mitchell, Ev [Mobley], and [Jarrett] Allen to… not talk s***, but being competitive and making sure we go out there and go after it. I think kind of the dog mentality, if we have that, we go a long way.”

Humble and easy to deal with outside of the gym, Schroder loves his family first and foremost. But when he puts on a jersey, it’s game time.

“On the court, I don’t want to have friends,” Schroder said. “Once it gets between those lines, you just want to win. Whatever it takes to get a win, that’s what I’mma do. Bringing that energy, bringing that competitive nature. Every single game, I’m gonna give 110 percent. I’m always treating it like it’s my last game, going out there and trying to get a win. That’s the most important thing that I’m trying to bring.”

Schroder’s longevity is hard to argue against, and his latest success at the 2025 FIBA World Cup is further proof of what he can do when the stakes increase. Schroder was named the MVP of EuroBasket after leading Germany to its first championship since 1993, dominating the second half in an 88-83 win vs. Turkey.

“To play in big games, that’s what I like,” Schroder said. “I like to be in those games, making sure that you’re putting your teammates in the right spots, and embrace the moment. That’s what we work every single day in the gym for, to be in those moments, and I’m looking forward to it with this team to be on the high stage.

He has also been to the NBA Playoffs eight different times, including the Eastern Conference Finals as a second-year player against Cleveland and in 2022-23 with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Cavs’ expectations are even higher.

“It’s always great that you have an organization who wants to play for something,” Schroder said. “You want to get as many wins as possible, so I want to chip in to that. Knowing these guys, playing them like a week ago, they go after it. I want to be able to chip a little bit into something big.”

Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis’ trade deadline experience

Schroder was in D.C. the day before the Sacramento Kings took on the Washington Wizards. Kings assistant general manager B.J. Armstrong informed him of the trade over the phone.

“That’s the business, and I’m excited to be here now,” said Schroder. “The season wasn’t really going well for the Sacramento Kings, and myself, the situation wasn’t really [tenable]. So, I’d seen something coming up.”

“I wasn’t really too much worried about rumors or anything,” Ellis added. “But when it happened, my phone was literally [blowing up]; I think I had like 140 missed calls. Every time I’d get on the phone with someone, someone else calls. Everyone’s texting me; I’m trying to get back to the important people first. It was a lot, but it’s all good.”

In his formative years with the Atlanta Hawks, Schroder grew close to Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson. He believes Ellis will like him; Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman, his agents at Priority Sports, have a longstanding relationship with Cleveland’s man in charge. They told the 26-year-old the same thing his teammate had told him.

Besides Ellis and Atkinson, Schroder has only two connections on the team as it stands. Larry Nance Jr. is also represented by Priority, as is Thomas Bryant, with whom the German veteran played in Los Angeles in each’s second stint with the Lakers in the aforementioned 2022-23 campaign.

Ellis is quite fond of Cavs assistant Jawad Williams from the two seasons the latter spent as the Kings’ player development coach. He’s also happy to reunite with Sam Merrill, his training camp teammate as a Kings rookie three-and-a-half years ago.

Eager to grow relationships with Cavs

Other than that, both are looking forward to establishing a relationship, on and off the court, from the top down.

“I mean, it’s gonna take a couple of weeks,” Schroder said. “It depends on how close we are, how we’re coming together, how the team chemistry is. I think that’s the most important. First day was already great. I’ve done it before, and I think this group is nice enough, as a character, to bring me and Keon in great, and then we’re just gonna compete on the highest level.”

“I’m kinda just meeting everyone as I go along,” Ellis added. “Just excited to meet everyone. Taking things day by day. I know I’ll probably have to get names of everyone multiple times, figure out all the situations, and everything. But just really excited to play.”

From the outside looking in, they’re both fans of what they’ve seen. Donovan Mitchell is certainly in that bucket.

“Great player,” Ellis said. “Definitely kinda glad I don’t have to guard him anymore. That’ll be nice, get to see his game on a nightly basis, and even everyone else.”

“Excited to play with the guys here,” Schroder added. “They’re special, and I think we just want to come in and chip in to it.”

This is not the first time that Schroder has been dealt away; it is the eighth time he’s been moved, and the Cavs will be the 11th team he’s played for. Conversely, Ellis is learning about all of this as a trade-deadline newbie.

“I just try to take him under my wing and try to help him out,” Schroder said. “For me, it’s easy. At the end of the day, you’re going out there to compete, to win games. Whatever you have to do to figure it out, I will do it. Keon will do the same thing. Try to be great.”

“Really great team,” Ellis added. “They’ve got some great pieces. I think we can accomplish those goals that I know they have set. Definitely excited for that.”

The post New Cavs Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis make ‘big’ first comments after Kings trade appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Harden has missed two consecutive games for the Clippers before he got sent to Cleveland due to personal reasons, but it won’t be long before the bearded star makes his highly anticipated debut in wine and gold colors. The Cavs are scheduled to play the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night against Harden’s former team, the Clippers, in Inglewood, but that will not be where he’s expected to make his Cleveland debut, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.

“Nine-time NBA All-Star James Harden — if acclimation goes as planned — is expected to make his debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, sources say,” Haynes wrote in a social media post on X, formerly Twitter.

The Cavs have been in great shape of late, having lost just one game in their last seven outings heading into the showdown versus the Clippers. In that same stretch, Cleveland defeated the lowly Kings at home to the tune of a 123-118 score.

In the event that Harden is still not available to suit up on Saturday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, the soonest he can see action for Cleveland will be on Monday against the Denver Nuggets, when the Cavaliers end their road trip at Ball Arena in Denver. Meanwhile, the three-time NBA scoring champion can make his Cavs home debut on Feb. 11 against the Washington Wizards at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.

The post When is James Harden expected to make Cavs debut after trade? appeared first on ClutchPoints.

“Dear Cleveland, I’ll never forget the night I was drafted to Cleveland back in 2019 and everything I’ve gained since,” Garland wrote. “This city taught me more than I could’ve imagined. To the coaches, staff, front office, the Gilbert family, my teammates, and the fans — thank you for the love and support. Cleveland will always be a second home, and I’ll carry these memories with me forever. – Always Love, 10.”

CLEVELAND, Thank You! pic.twitter.com/gvstuNK3pw

— Darius Garland (@dariusgarland22) February 4, 2026

Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman released a statement soon after Garland’s.

“We deeply appreciate what Darius Garland has meant to this franchise and the city of Cleveland,” Altman said. “Over the past seven seasons, Darius grew into an All-Star, a leader, and the heartbeat of our team. This decision was not made lightly, as Darius consistently represented the Cavaliers and our community with grace and joy that resonated with his teammates and our fans, both at Rocket Arena and across the NBA.

“We are incredibly grateful for everything he has given this organization. The difficulty of this trade reflects the utmost respect we have for him, and we wish him nothing but success as he begins the next chapter of his career with the Los Angeles Clippers.”

Garland is now set to join a Clippers squad that his father, Winston, played for in 1990-91. He is reportedly expected to return to the floor after the NBA All-Star break, as he continues to recover from a right great toe sprain. Prior to that injury, Garland had been rounding into form, getting his feet wet, and feeling healthier from the same setback on the left toe he had surgery on and reaggravated at different points this season.

Meanwhile, the Cavs have moved on from Garland and the Core Four era, which reached its peak last season at 64-18 as the top seed in the league. Cleveland went to the playoffs the last three years and made the Play-In Tournament the season before that.

In his seven-and-a-half seasons with Cleveland, Garland averaged 18.8 points, 6.7 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 33.1 minutes per game in 408 total appearances. He shot 45.3% from the field, including a 38.6% clip from distance and an 86.7% hit rate at the free-throw line.

Garland, who was the longest-tenured Cavalier, leaves as the third-best three-point shooter in franchise history (956 makes), behind LeBron James and Kevin Love. He has the third-most total assists (2,738) behind LeBron and Mark Price, and is top-10 in the record books in field-goals made (2,805), and points scored (7,671).

The post Darius Garland pens goodbye to Cleveland, Cavs after bombshell trade to Clippers for James Harden appeared first on ClutchPoints.

“The Cleveland Cavaliers have agreed to trade Lonzo Ball and two second-round picks to the Utah Jazz, sources tell ESPN. Ball’s agent Rich Paul and the Jazz are expected to discuss his future soon,” reported ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania on X, formerly Twitter.

Charania also clarified what will be in store for Ball with Utah.

“The Jazz are expected to waive Lonzo Ball, allowing him to be a free agent, sources tell ESPN,” he reported.

Ball was widely expected to be a trade candidate for the Cavs this year after his shooting numbers had cratered significantly since joining Cleveland via a trade with the Chicago Bulls.

Now, he will be free to sign with another team after being waived by the Jazz.

Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints later confirmed that this was part of a larger deal with the Atlanta Hawks that sent Jock Landale to Atlanta.

“…this Lonzo Ball to Utah trade is a 3-team deal that also involved Jock Landale going to the Hawks. Cavs are sending second-round picks in 2028 and 2032 to Utah, who will be waiving Ball,” reported Siegel.

Meanwhile, the Cavs recently added to their backcourt bench depth by acquiring both Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for De’Andre Hunter, meaning they won’t have a void left by Ball in terms of backup point guard minutes.

It remains to be seen whether the Cavs will look to make any more moves before the deadline, but as it is, the team will already look much different the next time they take the court.

The NBA trade deadline is set for Thursday afternoon at 3:00 pm ET.

The post Cavs trade Lonzo Ball, 2 picks to Jazz in 3-team trade with Hawks appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks have shown interest in Thomas, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.

A Thomas trade has been anticipated since the offseason, when he failed to agree to a contract extension with the Nets and signed his $6 million qualifying offer. The fifth-year guard reportedly turned down a two-year, $15 million contract featuring a team option in favor of his QO. He has a no-trade clause, meaning he’ll have to agree to any deal Brooklyn makes.

However, a change of scenery could be in Thomas’ best interest, given a recent role reduction.

Cam Thomas missing game for personal reasons amid Bucks, Cavs trade interest

Thomas opened the year as a starter and Brooklyn’s leading scorer. He averaged 24.4 points on .408/.356/.875 shooting splits across the team’s first seven games. However, the Nets posted a 0-7 record with an NBA-worst 128.5 defensive rating during that span.

Thomas injured his hamstring during Brooklyn’s eighth game of the season, after which the team improved dramatically. The Nets posted a 9-12 record with the NBA’s sixth-best defensive rating (111.7) during Thomas’ absence. They are 4-17 with the NBA’s second-worst defense (120.9) since the 24-year-old returned from a two-month layoff.

Thomas has moved to the bench and seen his role reduced dramatically following his return. He’s averaged 12.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists on 39.8 percent shooting from the field and 30.6 percent from three over his last 16 appearances.

The post Nets’ Cam Thomas sidelined for personal reasons as Bucks, Cavs trade rumors swirl appeared first on ClutchPoints.

On the episode, Lowe explained why Harden’s approach to his Clippers exit resonated with him, framing the move as a clear-eyed business decision rather than a messy breakup.

“I’m really starting to just enjoy how cold and brazen and mercenary he is. Its just funny. Like he’s the one player who’s like, they treat us like assets, we’re just assets to them. Well look, you didn’t pay me long term, I don’t think we’re going anywhere. I like playing at home. I like Los Angeles, I wanted to be here, but you ain’t paying me and you signaled you ain’t paying me, I’m going to go somewhere I might be able to win and they might be able to pay me. And I’m prepared to break some s—t on the way out the door.”

Lowe added that, despite Harden’s reputation for turbulent exits, his tenure with the Clippers never reached that point.

“Now they didn’t get to that point because I think it’s been a pretty copacetic relationship start to finish between Harden and the Clippers and everybody understood each other from day one. Certainly from the day he signed that contract. But I just respect like the mercenary nature of it.”

Zach Lowe’s James Harden critique shifts as Cavaliers acquire guard from Clippers

The remarks are notable given Lowe’s long-standing criticism of Harden’s postseason performances, particularly during earlier stops in his career. Harden, now 36, has played for six franchises, beginning with the Oklahoma City Thunder, followed by extended stints with the Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, and Philadelphia 76ers before joining the Clippers and, most recently, Cleveland.

Cleveland acquired Harden on Tuesday in a trade that sent Darius Garland and a 2026 second-round pick to Los Angeles. Harden was in his third season with the Clippers and is averaging 25.4 points, 8.1 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 41.9% from the field, 34.7% from three-point range, and a career-high 90.1% from the free-throw line. He has appeared in 44 games, logging 35.4 minutes per contest.

The Cavaliers enter the next stretch of the schedule with a 30–21 record, sitting fifth in the Eastern Conference standings. Harden is expected to bolster a Cleveland backcourt seeking additional playmaking and late-game scoring as the season progresses.

Cleveland continues its five-game road trip Wednesday night with a matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers, who are 23–26, at 10:30 p.m. ET. Neither James Harden nor Darius Garland is expected to play as both teams manage rotations following Tuesday’s trade.

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Meanwhile, according to reporting from Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, the Pacers are not alone. Chicago and New Orleans have shown interest in Bennedict Mathurin. Still, Indiana continues to scan the center market. Jarrett Allen’s name keeps surfacing.

In return, he brings stability and production. This season, he averages 14.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and shoots over 60 percent from the field. Those numbers matter on a roster missing structure inside. Without Tyrese Haliburton after their Finals run, the Pacers have struggled to find balance. Because of that, defense slips. The paint opens. Fans see the gaps every night.

A move shaped by timing and Jarrett Allen

For Cleveland, the situation feels different. After trading for James Harden, the Cavs shifted priorities and changed the math. Now, Cleveland must decide which pieces stay and which become leverage. Allen remains a valuable asset. He still controls the glass and protects the rim. However, roster flexibility matters more than comfort.

Meanwhile, Indiana wants direction. Not noise. In that sense, a proven center like Jarrett Allen could reset their identity under the arena lights. It would give young guards a target and fans a reason to believe again. For now, the crowd still waits for momentum. Yet, one trade can tilt a season’s story.

In the end, this is not about headlines alone. It is about survival and vision. The Pacers need presence. The Cavs, on the other hand, need choices. As the NBA Trade Deadline ticks closer, the tension rises. So the question remains: will Jarrett Allen become the piece that reshapes two futures at once?

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Evan Mobley will also remain sidelined with a left calf strain for the fourth consecutive contest, but Cleveland will have new acquisitions Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder available to make their respective debuts.

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James Harden, Darius Garland’s injury statuses for Cavs vs. Clippers

When it comes to the question of whether James Harden and Darius Garland are playing tonight in the Cavs vs. Clippers matchup, the answer is no. Until the trade is made official by the league, logistically, each has to be on their previous team’s injury report. Both have obviously been ruled out.

Harden has missed the last two games for personal reasons; he is out again on the same grounds for LA currently despite being bound for Cleveland. He has already broken his silence on the trade request, how he feels about the Cavs, and where their franchise is headed.

Garland is reportedly set to make his Clippers debut after the NBA All-Star break as he recovers from a right great toe sprain that he suffered on January 14 in Philadelphia. The latest setback, basically the same injury on a different foot, is one of many reasons why the Cavs decided to move on from Garland.

Ellis and Schroder are set to play for the Cavs for the first time since the De’Andre Hunter trade with the Sacramento Kings. A left calf strain has kept Mobley off the floor since January 26. Cleveland will also be without Max Strus, who has yet to make his Cleveland season debut, and newcomer Emanuel Miller.

Aside from Bradley Beal and Chris Paul, the Clippers won’t have two-way guard TyTy Washington.

Cavs injury report

Darius Garland: OUT (right great toe sprain)

Evan Mobley: OUT (left calf strain)

Max Strus: OUT (left foot surgery)

Emanuel Miller: OUT (two-way G League assignment)

Clippers injury report

James Harden: OUT (personal reasons)

TyTy Washington: OUT (two-way G League assignment)

Bradley Beal: OUT (left hip fracture)

Chris Paul: OUT (not with team)

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The move also signals Cleveland’s desperation to keep star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell around for the long haul, and recently, NBA insider Jake Fischer provided more context on that front.

“…with Mitchell becoming extension eligible this summer, there was a growing fear that another failed postseason for the Cavaliers — who were a highly disappointing 22-19 not long ago — could have led to a disastrous scenario where Mitchell declined (a new contract),” reported Fischer on Marc Stein’s Substack.

“People don’t realize the Cavs are in the same position with Donovan as the Bucks are with Giannis,” said one front office executive, per Fischer.

Indeed, the Milwaukee Bucks have been pulling out all the stops over the last few years to keep Antetokounmpo happy in Milwaukee, including waiving and stretching Damian Lillard’s contract in order to bring in Myles Turner this past offseason. While that experiment has not gone according to plan, the Cavaliers are hoping that their trade for Harden will ultimately allow them to compete for a championship and keep Mitchell around for the long haul.

“Holding a player option for the 2027-28 season, Mitchell could… become an unrestricted free agent as soon as the summer of 2027,” Fischer pointed out.

The Cavaliers have been playing some improved basketball as of late, and the Harden trade could be just what they need to give themselves another jolt up the standings.

However, trading for James Harden in the hopes of improving your chances of performing well in the playoffs is an interesting choice, to say the least.

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Multiple teams have been making calls to Milwaukee leading up to the trade deadline in an attempt to acquire Giannis. So far, the Bucks have listened and discussed certain aspects of value in these trade talks with teams, but executive Jon Horst and his front office have yet to definitively say that Antetokounmpo is available.

As a result, the majority of league executives and scouts are of the belief that Giannis will remain on the Bucks past the Feb. 5 deadline.

How does this potentially impact teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, and Miami Heat? All three of these teams have been in talks with the Bucks leading up to the trade deadline regarding Giannis, and each team has gone back and forth with Milwaukee about different scenarios.

However, the latest intel circulating in NBA circles on Tuesday evening was the Timberwolves’ aggressive pursuit to finalize a deal done immediately and not let the Giannis situation carry over into the summer. The main reason behind all of this is indications from Antetokounmpo’s camp that playing alongside Anthony Edwards is at the top of his list if he were to be traded before the deadline.

Timberwolves aggressively pursuing Giannis trade

Amid strong interest from the Warriors and Heat, it is the Timberwolves who have emerged as the top destination for Giannis before Thursday’s deadline. League sources told ClutchPoints on Tuesday night that Antetokounmpo not only wants to play alongside Edwards but also that Minnesota has been engaged in several trade conversations around the NBA to make landing Giannis right now their reality.

The Timberwolves have been in constant communication with the Bucks in the week leading up to the trade deadline about what it would take to acquire Antetokounmpo, and a small move they made on Tuesday created more flexibility for Timberwolves president Tim Connelly to discuss what would be a multi-team scenario to trade for Antetokounmpo.

In a three-team deal with the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls, Mike Conley Jr. was dealt to Chicago in a trade that moved Minnesota below the first apron and just $3.8 million above the luxury tax line. The Wolves now have two open roster spots after making this trade.

After moving Conley, it has become clear that another deal is on the horizon in Minneapolis. Whether or not it’s the ultimate deal for Giannis is the question at large. It is worth noting that the Timberwolves could have made a deal for Bulls guard Coby White, whom they have been linked to throughout the trade season, yet they chose not to because of this ongoing pursuit of Giannis.

Minnesota is doing everything it can to gather more potential assets and draft picks to go back to Milwaukee and make a Giannis trade before Thursday. That is why the Timberwolves have talked with multiple teams about the values of Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid.

At the same time, the Timberwolves will not make any significant roster changes involving any of these three players unless there is a deal for Giannis in place, league sources said. In any potential scenario, the Wolves are said to want to keep Reid for the foreseeable future.

Among teams to speak with the Timberwolves lately, the Los Angeles Lakers expressed interest in swingman Donte DiVincenzo, sources said. These talks have not progressed to anything significant, as the Timberwolves would only consider moving DiVincenzo if it helped them pull off a trade for Giannis. The Lakers don’t appear to have any valuable assets that could aid Minnesota’s quest for Giannis other than their future 2031 first-round pick.

As we inch closer to the 24-hour mark before the trade deadline, the Timberwolves, who are extremely aggressive on the trade market, attempting to get the necessary assets, very well may run out of time to put together a compelling offer for Giannis.

Other than the Timberwolves’ strong pursuit of the Milwaukee star, the Warriors’ trade package, highlighted by various first-round picks, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green, and Brandin Podziemski, is still one the Bucks have yet to decline, sources said. There is still a level of intrigue from Milwaukee regarding Golden State’s future draft picks, especially those past the 2029-30 season.

The same cannot be said for the Heat and their offer, as there is a growing sense of doubt around the league that Miami has the assets right now to pull off a trade with the Bucks. In fact, some league sources who spoke with ClutchPoints late Tuesday night (technically Wednesday morning if we want to count anything past midnight on the East Coast) insisted that the Heat have already changed course and are pivoting to other options.

With the trade deadline closing in on the 24-hour mark, the Timberwolves are doing everything they can to find one, two, maybe even three more teams that can help them facilitate what would be arguably the biggest last-minute blockbuster trade this league has seen. From the Warriors’ perspective, they continue to hold out hope that this doesn’t happen for the Wolves and their package remains the best on the table.

Even so, it still may not matter, as the Bucks could simply take all of this information from teams pursuing Giannis with them into the offseason and revisit trade talks then. This is the route many rival front-office personnel believe the Bucks will take.

Heat pivoting from Giannis trade

The Heat have been at the forefront of Giannis trade talks, yet too many questions surround their potential package, especially considering Tyler Herro’s upcoming extension talks and the question of just how good their draft assets are. That is why Giannis no longer appears to be a possibility before Thursday, and it’s also why league sources have indicated that Miami has already turned its attention to someone else.

Enter Ja Morant.

Ever since Morant became a focal point of trade conversations around the league near the start of the 2025-26 NBA season, all the intel surrounding him has been that he wants to find his way to Miami. The relationship between the Memphis Grizzlies and Morant cannot be repaired, and trust has been broken between him and the front office, sources said.

This is especially true given that Morant tried to make things work following his feud with Tuomas Iisalo and the coaching staff, yet GM Zach Kleiman and front-office personnel went behind the star’s back to begin discussing possible trades with any teams that were interested.

Morant has been on the record countless times saying he loves the city of Memphis and would have no reason to leave, but it appears as if that decision has already been made for him by Kleiman and this front office. If you need any more reason to believe a Morant trade is on the horizon, just look at what the Grizzlies did on Tuesday by essentially selling Jackson to the Jazz for as many draft picks and young talents as they could.

It is a matter of time before news of a Morant trade begins buzzing on everyone’s phones, and the Heat are certainly at the forefront of those conversations. For weeks, the Heat have been attempting to buy low on Morant, much like how the Washington Wizards did with their Trae Young trade with the Atlanta Hawks.

While the Young trade did not involve any draft picks, the Grizzlies do want draft compensation for Morant and are widely expected to take the first deal they can involving a first-round pick, sources said. Morant wants Miami, and only Miami, so will a deal get done here?

His value is at an all-time low right now, and the Grizzlies did not help themselves by trading Jackson first. Every team in the league knows Kleiman and the Grizzlies are entering a full-blown rebuild, which is why nobody will offer anything of real value for Morant at this juncture. Salvaging a first-round pick is the best Memphis can do before Thursday’s deadline.

Now that they appear to be pivoting away from pursuing Giannis, Morant is the likeliest star to join the Heat in the coming days.

But what would a potential trade look like for Miami, which is just $1.6 million under the luxury tax and likely doesn’t want to cross that line this season? Would the Heat even be willing to offer any draft picks for Morant, knowing he wants to go there, and there’s still a possibility to pursue Antetokounmpo in the summer with more draft assets should the Bucks hold onto him?

These are two major questions surrounding the Heat’s possible pursuit of Morant.

There are then questions about whether the Grizzlies, who simply seem to want to get any value from any team for Morant with no regard for where they send him, will circle back with teams like the Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings. Both organizations were rumored to have some level of interest in Morant earlier this year.

The Timberwolves could certainly pivot to Morant if their talks for Giannis fall through, and the Kings, league sources said, would entertain such a move if it allowed them to get off the contracts of guys like DeMar DeRozan ($24.5 million) and Malik Monk ($18.7 million).

Perhaps there is a path to the Grizzlies not only moving Morant, but also helping the Kings trade star big man Domantas Sabonis to the Toronto Raptors.

Can Kings, Raptors trade for Domantas Sabonis happen?

For months, the Raptors have discussed the possibility of pursuing three-time All-Star and three-time rebounding champion Domantas Sabonis from the Kings. Various scenarios have been discussed through the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, and what appears to be the final framework of a potential deal includes RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, Ochai Agbaji, and some sort of draft compensation that is presumed to be a first-round asset.

ClutchPoints reported this exact framework the two teams were discussing on Monday. Whether or not this iteration of Sabonis going to Toronto is completed is a major question mark.

Given Poeltl’s ongoing back problems, the Raptors appear prepared to part ways with the 30-year-old center, whom they just signed this past summer to a three-year, $84.5 million extension that runs through the 2029-30 season. However, the hold-up in talks between the Raptors and Kings is precisely Poeltl’s contract.

The Kings have indicated they hold no interest in taking back this long-term contract, even if it paves a path to acquiring Barrett, whom Kings GM Scott Perry has held a very strong relationship with dating back to when the former Knicks executive drafted him third overall in 2019.

Such a deal between Toronto and Sacramento would need to involve at least one other team to facilitate Poeltl’s contract, which raises more questions about added draft compensation and assets being traded by the Raptors.

As the two teams continue to try to find another team to help facilitate their trade, the Grizzlies came up in multiple conversations league personnel had with ClutchPoints in the aftermath of their trade involving Jackson being traded to Utah. The Grizz have clearly hit the reset button and will be rebuilding, which is why some around the league believe they could be persuaded to take on Poeltl’s contract for at least one unprotected first-round pick.

Then again, if Memphis is to rebuild, Kleiman won’t want to take on any long-term salary. The Grizzlies are solely focused on finding a way to move Morant before Thursday, which leads to the idea of the Kings being a potential suitor for the star guard if Memphis takes on Poeltl’s contract.

This would offer Sacramento a path to move DeRozan, who is owed only $10 million of his $25.7 million salary if waived this upcoming offseason, by adding draft compensation. Again, this is just a hypothetical path to the Kings dumping future money and striking a deal to send Sabonis to Toronto without taking on Poeltl’s contract.

To this point, the Grizzlies have not shown interest in helping facilitate this trade between the Raptors and Kings, sources said.

Is there another team out there that has a need for a center and could utilize Poeltl? After trading Nikola Vucevic to the Boston Celtics, maybe the Chicago Bulls could be persuaded to add Poeltl if they were to get draft picks. The Indiana Pacers are unlikely to pursue Poeltl, but that’s another team with a clear need at the center position.

Unless a third team pops up between now and Thursday afternoon, or unless the Kings reverse course and take Poeltl in this trade, which is highly unlikely, talks between Toronto and Sacramento will need to be put on hold until the offseason. Should this happen, expect the Raptors to quickly pivot to a cost-effective, short-term move for big-man depth while dodging the luxury tax for the season.

Next move for Cavs after James Harden trade?

As reported with ClutchPoints’ Tomer Azarly on Monday night, talks of James Harden’s departure from the LA Clippers had been ongoing for weeks leading up to the week of the trade deadline. The Clippers had been working with Harden on a potential trade amid being one of the hottest teams in the league on the court, and a trade was reached with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night for Darius Garland.

The Cavs, who recently traded for Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder from the Kings, completely shifted gears in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline and decided to make an all-in move by trading Garland for Harden because of concerns surrounding the 26-year-old’s health and availability, sources said.

There had also been some within the organization concerned about his fit next to Donovan Mitchell as it pertained to contending for a championship right now. As a result, the Cavs took this opportunity to move Garland for Harden, a proven superstar guard in the NBA who gives this organization a clear two-year window to possibly win the Eastern Conference.

From the Clippers’ perspective, Garland is a player they have long held interest in as a young star guard, and he represents a path forward with a fresh start on a team that was desperate to add high-level, youthful talent.

Entering the trade deadline, the Clippers held zero interest in investing future assets into this iteration of the team, so moving on from Harden now for Garland and an immediate second-round pick was a massive win for executive Lawrence Frank and this front office.

Los Angeles will now continue to search for potential paths to move veteran guard Chris Paul and former first-round pick Kobe Brown before Thursday, sources said. The Clippers currently have one open roster spot and are roughly $1.1 million from their first-apron hard cap. By moving Paul and Brown in salary-dump moves, the Clippers can open up roster spots and funds to sign both Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders to standard contracts.

As for the Cavs, they still are not done operating as one of the deadline’s busiest teams. Cleveland remains $13.8 million above the second apron after acquiring Harden, and the focus is on trading Lonzo Ball’s $10 million contract. The Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, and Brooklyn Nets are all teams that will likely be willing to accept a second-round pick or two for this salary dump.

Still, such a move would leave the Cavs slightly over the second apron, and with executive Koby Altman still searching the market for potential upgrades before Thursday, both Max Strus and Jarrett Allen have come up in trade discussions around the league, sources said. News of Allen’s availability was first reported by Sam Amick of The Athletic, who reported that such a move could unlock “much bigger possibilities” for this franchise in the trade market.

With Mitchell, Harden, and Evan Mobley combining to make over $130 million on the Cavs’ cap sheet, it’s hard to imagine another major move being made by Cleveland. However, the Cavs are still looking to cut salary, which could signal a potential massive move to pursue an All-NBA talent like Anthony Davis or even Giannis in the summer.

There is pressure mounting in Cleveland to win right now and compete for a championship before Mitchell makes a decision on his future, which is why Altman and owner Dan Gilbert are willing to gamble right now.

Other trade notes and intel around the NBA

Brooklyn Nets: As we’ve discussed numerous times over the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, the Brooklyn Nets are prepared to keep Michael Porter Jr. for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. ClutchPoints’ Nets reporter Erik Slater recently mentioned how the team will revisit trade conversations during the offseason, as some are skeptical whether the organization will make a significant, long-term commitment to Porter.

Chicago Bulls: Yves Missi has been on the radar of several teams entering the week of the trade deadline, but none more than the Bulls, sources said. The Bulls’ interest in Missi was first reported by ClutchPoints before the start of February, and now there’s a gaping hole at center with Nikola Vucevic shipping up to Boston. The New Orleans Pelicans have been holding a firm asking price of a first-round pick for the recent All-Rookie big man, but no team has been willing to reach said price. The Bulls will be very active over the next day and a half, especially as it pertains to moving Coby White and possibly even Ayo Dosunmu after acquiring guards Jaden Ivey and Anfernee Simons.

Houston Rockets: Amid rumored interest in Bulls guard Coby White and potentially looking to move Dorian Finney-Smith before the trade deadline, the Houston Rockets are said to be content with their roster as is. Even though this team needs another frontcourt talent in the wake of Steven Adams’ season-ending injury, the Rockets will only be looking to make moves with players involving minimum-like contracts. Tari Eason has come up in countless trade rumors, with several teams showing interest in him, but league sources have been adamant that he will not be traded before Thursday.

New Orleans Pelicans: Teams around the NBA have been extremely confused with the Pelicans’ approach to this trade season, especially since they never really considered any offers coming their way for Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones. Both players have been highly pursued by several playoff-contending teams, and sources said NOLA received offers that included multiple first-round picks for Murphy and Jones. There is a very real possibility the Pelicans stick to their asking prices for all of their players through Thursday’s deadline and don’t make any moves, which would be extremely puzzling for a team at the bottom of the standings with several players holding real trade value.

New York Knicks: Guerschon Yabusele has been the player the Knicks have been attempting to move for any type of bench production before Thursday’s deadline. However, New York has run into a wall trying to find a team that wants his $5.7 million salary for next season. Although the Knicks spoke with the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans recently, as first reported on ClutchPoints, neither team has been willing to take on Yabusele’s deal. It has become a real possibility that New York fails to find a trade for the French forward before the deadline.

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There are many rumblings around the NBA that James, who isn’t oblivious to narratives surrounding his career, may not end up finishing his career with the Los Angeles Lakers after all. Some believe that James might be inclined to finish his career where it began, only 40 miles north of his hometown of Akron, Ohio, fueling rumors that the 41-year-old might end up signing a minimum contract with the Cavs this coming offseason.

“I think he’s going to come back and play at least one more season and have that farewell tour that everybody has been talking about. And he’s going to be advertised by the NBA everywhere that he goes. I just don’t see the league and LeBron not wanting that at this point. So where will he end up? I would be shocked if it’s not that Cavaliers at this point,” ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel said on the Clutch Scoops show.

(49:30 mark)

2/3/26 — Jackson Jr. traded? James Harden next? Latest NBA intel w/ @TomerAzarly & @BrettSiegelNBA https://t.co/Jezmx8DgP4

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 3, 2026

Cavs reunion might be the way for LeBron James to go

James is the greatest player in Cavs history, and he led the franchise to its first NBA title with a heroic effort in 2016. He was a one-man NBA Finals wrecking crew, and it is certainly poetic if he ends his career with the team that drafted him.

The Cavs are also stacked, and they have a glaring hole at the three. James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen comprise 80 percent of one of the best starting lineups in the NBA, and James would be an incredible fit to round out that group.

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