NBA Fans Sound Off on James Harden's Reported Trade to Cavs From Clippers Ahead of Deadline

James Harden's latest trade request was granted on Tuesday, as the Los Angeles Clippers sent him to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland and a second round pick according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

As you might expect, NBA fans and pundits alike had thoughts on the matter:

In Harden, the Cavaliers will be getting a more natural playmaker at the point guard position, albeit one who has a pretty pronounced style of play. Assuming more moves aren't coming—and that's no guarantee given the lingering uncertainty over Giannis Antetokounmpo's future—Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley should be the beneficiary of plenty of lobs.

Given that Garland has never quite taken that next step into stardom, perhaps due to injuries, adding a short-term upgrade like Harden makes sense.

The 36-year-old is putting together a fantastic season, averaging 25.4 points and 8.1 assists per game. The scoring will probably come down in Cleveland, with Donovan Mitchell, Mobley and Allen needing their looks as well, but it wouldn't be surprising if the assists went up.

The Clippers, meanwhile, simply aren't contenders in the short term. While the team has recovered from its 6-21 start, going 17-5 since, the Clippers are going to have to scratch and claw just to be a Play-In Tournament team. In Cleveland, Harden will have a legitimate chance to get out of the East.

But the Clippers, who don't have future draft capital to rebuild around, added a younger player in Garland who can help them in both the present and future. Whether Kawhi Leonard is thrilled about losing his star running mate remains to be seen, but Garland should help the Clippers remain competitive.