Donovan Mitchell Breaks Silence on James Harden Trade After Rumors on His 'Influence'

All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell expressed excitement Thursday over the Cleveland Cavaliers' acquisition of James Harden.

Speaking to Tony Jones of The Athletic after Cleveland sent guard Darius Garland and a second-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for Harden on Tuesday, Mitchell said, "We both know that it's going to be an adjustment. But, we're excited. I'm excited about what he can do for me as a player, and I'm excited about what he can do for our team as a whole. We want the same thing. We both want a championship. So, at the end of the day, we're shooting for the same goals, and we have to go about trying to win at a high level."

Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reported Wednesday that Mitchell "conveyed, either personally or through his representatives, that he did not think the organization should stand pat for the rest of this season and wait for potential moves in the summer," which may have had an influence on the Cavs' decision to take a big swing on Harden.

The Cavaliers were reportedly "feeling the pressure" from Mitchell to make a move, but Vardon and Lloyd noted that a Cavs official "refuted" that narrative.

Cleveland led the Eastern Conference with a 64-18 record last season, but it fell to the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the playoffs.

The Cavaliers opted against making any major changes during the offseason and largely ran it back with the same team entering the 2025-26 campaign.

Their season got off to an uneven start, though, as they were 15-14 at one point. The Cavs have since become one of the hottest teams in the NBA, winning nine of their past 11 games.

Cavaliers-Clippers Full Highlights

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Despite the turnaround and the fact that they have climbed into fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a 31-21 record, the Cavaliers decided to make a potential franchise-altering move.

Garland is a 26-year-old two-time All-Star who averages nearly 19 points and seven assists per game during his career.

Injuries have limited him to just 26 games this season, though, and his absences have undoubtedly impacted the Cavs at times.

Harden is a much older player at 36 years of age, but the 11-time All-Star played has been highly durable as of late, appearing in 72 games in 2023-24 and 79 games last season.

The one-time NBA MVP and three-time NBA scoring champion also continues to produce at a high level, averaging 25.4 points, 8.1 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 3.1 three-pointers made and 1.3 steals per game this season.

Perhaps the biggest concern when it comes to Harden and his fit in Cleveland is the fact that both he and Mitchell are ball-dominant players, which is something Mitchell addressed Thursday.

"We know that there is going to be a period where we have to adjust," Mitchell said. "I'm going to have to figure out how to play without the ball a little bit. I've done it before, and I'm going to have to do it again. But, James is one of the best to ever do it. I think we both want the same things, and we both have the same goal in mind. We just want to win, and I think that we're willing to do what it takes."

Mitchell and Harden are two of the NBA's best players who have yet to win a championship, so they figure to be hungry for success if nothing else.

Both players may need to tweak their respective games in order to make it work, and if they are able to do so, the Cavs may re-establish themselves as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.