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When information broke that James Harden was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in change for Darius Garland on Tuesday night time, the headlines instantly began to jot down themselves. When the going will get robust, Harden will get going.
As in, someplace else. This time it is Cleveland… after it did not work out with the Clippers… after he blew his means out of Philadelphia… after he bounced on Brooklyn. Early exits — from groups, from the playoffs — are going to be a part of Harden’s legacy, and positively his post-Houston observe file, on paper, warrants such criticism.
That is the place I remind you, nevertheless, that Houston did occur. Harden did stick with one crew for eight years combating the great battle towards one of many nice dynasties the NBA has ever seen. Within the eye of the superteam storm, Harden went on the Warriors as an efficient one-man offense yr after yr after yr.
That was a part of the issue, after all, however the level is he by no means regarded for something that may’ve constituted a straightforward means out within the 2010s. Moderately, he selected the toughest route potential, every season signing proper again up for a similar bloody battle towards the identical principally unbeatable opponent in the identical behemoth convention believing he might ultimately prevail.
And he almost did. Have been it not for Chris Paul’s ripped hamstring in 2018, there is a good likelihood Harden has a hoop and all of those post-Houston sojourns (in the event that they even would’ve performed out the identical means within the first place) change into footnotes in what can be a vastly completely different profession bio.
As an alternative, this recreation of musical groups he has performed over the second half his profession is beginning to overshadow all of the wonderful stuff he did within the first half. We’ll see how these previous few chapters play out, starting in Cleveland, but when all of it have been to finish proper now Harden would have three essential bullet factors in his bio.
- One of many best scorers of all time.
- Probably the most egregious foul baiters of all time.
- Serial promote out who by no means received a hoop.
There is not any debating the primary one. The second is a giant a part of this dialog, as a result of let’s be trustworthy, it is easy to hate Harden. He is one of the annoying superstars the league has ever recognized. He comes off because the epitome of egocentric basketball. He performs meme-level protection. He dupes referees into phantom fouls. Charisma shouldn’t be a crutch on which Harden can lean. His math recreation is boring, and the numbers have regarded fairly ugly on a whole lot of postseason events. It paints a loser image if that is what you need to see, and a loser leaping groups is even worse than a winner doing it.
However that is perceptions speaking. The realities of Harden’s final three exits are, on the very least, much more layered than we will make them out to be. Sure, he pressured his means out of Philly and burned a bridge with Daryl Morey as he left, however his tenures in L.A. and Brooklyn included main dramas Harden performed no half in creating. Kawhi’s cash may need really grown on bushes. Kyrie Irving, one among Harden’s Massive Three teammates, wasn’t suiting up for the Nets. What was he imagined to do, keep out of loyalty?
Loyalty’s within the greenback, child. And ultimately, that is the one factor Harden has been chasing since he left Houston. This is not a few ring. It is a few contract extension. One he knew he wasn’t going to get from the Clippers. One he thought he was going to get from the 76ers. One he hopes he’ll get from the Cavaliers.
You would possibly name {that a} ridiculous precedence for a man who’s already made $375 million {dollars} taking part in basketball. I might most likely agree with you on that entrance. However nonetheless, this is not as a lot about an sad basketball participant as we would like it to be. It is about cash. As nearly every little thing on this world is.
If Harden sees an opportunity to attain one other contract within the dwindling days of his Corridor of Fame profession, like nearly each athlete in historical past, he’ll do it. If the 76ers had given him that, he’d nonetheless be there. If the Clippers had signaled a want to stay within the Harden enterprise past 2027, he’d most likely nonetheless be there.
However on this case, the crew wished this commerce greater than the participant did. And why not? The Clippers simply flipped a 36-year-old Harden for a 26-year-old Garland, who, when wholesome, is an All-Star level guard that may usually value a number of draft picks to accumulate. This isn’t a case of a celebrity on the peak of his leverage forcing a crew into one thing it did not need to do.
James Harden-Darius Garland commerce grades: Clippers clearly come out forward of Cavaliers in All-Star swap
Sam Quinn
The larger query is why the Cavaliers did need to do it, and once more, even when there isn’t any latest proof that the groups who’ve introduced Harden in have wound up higher for doing so, there is a logical reply. And that reply is that this: Each scenario is completely different. That is why we should always decide all of those Harden exits on their very own, reasonably than as a sample. They have been all distinctive. They weren’t all his doing. Even when, when the time lastly got here, he was a brat on his means out.
In Cleveland’s case, the Cavs are pondering brief time period. They don’t seem to be constructing round Harden. They won’t even give him the extension he desires. However for this season, which carries with it a golden alternative to win the East and compete for a championship, Harden is averaging 25 and eight whereas Garland is damage and unsure to return to full well being earlier than the postseason.
Within the immediacy, the Cavs acquired higher on Tuesday. In the long term, so did the Clippers. And ultimately, that is why this deal acquired carried out. As a result of it labored for either side. Not as a result of James Harden demanded that it occur.
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