James Harden Rumors Reveal Timeline for Cavaliers Debut After Clippers Trade Ahead of NBA Deadline

James Harden won't make his Cleveland Cavaliers debut against his former team on Wednesday.

Per NBA insider Chris Haynes, Harden is expected to suit up for the Cavs on Saturday against the Sacramento Kings after being traded from the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.

The Clippers and Cavs played in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

The Clippers sent Harden to the Cavs on Tuesday in exchange for star point guard Darius Garland. Garland also won't play on Wednesday, as he's dealing with a toe injury that has left him sidelined since mid-January.

The trade came after Harden reportedly asked for a trade out of Los Angeles, though the 11-time All-Star denied requesting a trade, telling ESPN's Ramona Shelburne that he "didn't want to feel like I was holding the Clippers up in their future."

Harden is playing the best basketball he has in years, putting up 25.4 points, 8.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game. His recent play helped the Clippers go 17-5 after starting the season 6-21.

Despite the recent surge that has made the Clippers look more like playoff contenders, Harden will now join the Cavs as he continues to seek his first title.

Cleveland also had a rough start to the year following last year's success. The Cavs were 17-16 on Dec. 27 but have since won 13 of their last 18 games to get things back on track.

Cleveland is currently sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference at 30-21.

The pairing of Harden and star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell is sure to be one of the most tantalizing backcourt duos in the NBA, but whether it will be enough to bring the Cavs their first championship since 2016 remains to be seen.