It is a new chapter again for James Harden's journey in the NBA. The former NBA Most Valuable Player was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday by the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Cavs guard Darius Garland and a second-rounder in the 2026 NBA Draft.
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.
