Technically, the Cleveland Cavaliers dominated the LA Clippers on Wednesday night as if they didn’t miss Darius Garland. But as they saw their former beloved teammate in street clothes with the Clippers a day after trading him for James Harden, the Cavaliers struggled managing their emotions.

“That’s a part I don’t feel great about,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said following Cleveland’s 124-91 win over the Clippers on Wednesday at Intuit Dome. “I love getting James Harden. We made some tweaks and are trying to get better. But I have a soft spot in my heart for him. I love him as a player, and love him as a person. I hope to get to coach him again at some point.”

Similarly, the LA Clippers struggled as if they missed Harden’s clutch shooting and passing. But even with Harden nowhere in sight a day after the Clippers dealt him to Cleveland, both parties ended their 2 1/2 year partnership on amicable terms.

“It’s shocking, but this is the NBA,” Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard said. “It’s a business. That’s what comes first. He was a great teammate. We spent the time together and had great memories. I wish him the best of luck with him and his career. We’re still locked in, and I respect him.”

The Clippers still respect the 36-year-old Harden for becoming an All-Star caliber player again and elevating his play with and without Leonard. This happened as Harden faced questions about his priorities after pressuring the Philadelphia 76ers to deal him amid a contract dispute early in the 2023-24 season. Harden still respected the Clippers enough to thank Coach Tyronn Lue for “allowing him to play his style of basketball” and considering him “one of the best coaches he played for” following stops in Oklahoma City (2009-12), Houston (2012-21), Brooklyn (2021-22) and Philadelphia (2022-2023).

The Cavaliers still respect the 26-year-old Garland for becoming a two-time All-Star during his seven-year NBA career (2019-2026). They mostly became encouraged with how he shared scoring and playmaking duties with Donovan Mitchell for the past three seasons. Mitchell called Garland “my brother.” Atkinson considered Garland “one of my favorites that I coached.” Garland expressed gratitude for the Cavaliers selecting him at No. 5 in the 2019 NBA Draft and said he has “the utmost respect for all of those guys over there and that organization.”

Yet, it appeared all parties seemed ready for new partnerships.

Top Stories

Anthony Edwards’ Worrying Announcement Raises Concern Amid Giannis Rumor

ESPN’s Shams Charania Exposes Giannis Again as Top 3 Trade Destinations Emerge

Warriors Trade Jonathan Kuminga With Lakers’ Help After Giannis Antetokounmpo Fallout

“Forgot He Plays Basketball”: NBA Legend Blasts Warriors’ Kristaps Porzingis Trade Amid Jimmy Butler Rumor

Fans Express Disbelief After ESPN Exposes ‘Free League Pass’ as Part of WNBA’s CBA Pitch

Garland said multiple times that he felt “super excited” to play for the Clippers. He will assume a more traditional point guard role. He will also play for Lue, who developed a young Kyrie Irving in Cleveland during an NBA championship run (2016) in two Finals appearances (2016-2017).

“It’s just his mindset and the way that he gets into his shot, his footwork, his handle of course, his shiftiness, his ability to get by his defender with quickness, his skill,” Garland said of Irving. “I think we have some similarities with that. But I hope T Lue used me like he did Kyrie during that championship run that he had. But whatever T Lue wants me to be in, whatever position he wants me to be in, I’m going to do that. I’m here to win games. So whatever he needs me to do, I’m good. I’ll try to put my best foot forward and try to go out there and try to do it.”

Despite the Clippers’ resurgence following a 5-16 start, they will likely spend the rest of the season trying to sneak into the playoffs through the Play-In tournament. Different story with the Cavs. Mitchell gushed repeatedly about Harden’s arrival and what it could mean for their NBA championship fortunes. The Cavaliers finished last season with the NBA’s best record during Atkinson’s first year, only to experience a second-round playoff exit to Boston. Cleveland (31-21) currently ranks No. 4 in the Eastern Conference amid a roster missing a combined 182 games with injuries entering Wednesday’s game.

This past week, the Cavs sought to jumpstart their play. They completed a three-team trade with Chicago and Sacramento, which entailed trading their wing (De’Andre Hunter) to the Kings for a backup veteran point guard (Dennis Schroder) and a dependable two-way shooting guard (Keon Ellis). The Cavs shed salary by sending Lonzo Ball to the Utah Jazz. The Cavs completed the biggest deal by sending Garland and a second-round pick to the Clippers for Harden.

Will this ensure the Cavs become a viable NBA title contender?

“This is an opportunity for us to go out there. I think our ceiling is obviously high,” Mitchell said. “When you have a guy like James Harden, it’s just what you look at. It’s like, ‘All right, you know what he brings.’ But also with that, there is an expectation.”

For the Cavaliers: how will Mitchell and Harden ensure they complement each other without getting in each other’s way?

“I’m going to lean on James and Donovan,” Atkinson said. “I’m going to sit down and hash it out and let those guys [decide]. That’s usually how you work with the best players.”

For the Clippers: how will they adjust with having Garland play at a faster pace than the more deliberative Harden?

“It’s going to take a while to try to get some guys up to speed,” Lue said. “So just doing some things differently offensively. I think that will fit our team and how we want to play. James was such a huge part of how we played offensively. Now, we have to do some things differently.”

The more pressing questions involve when Garland and Harden will debut with their new teams.

After missing the past 10 games while nursing a Grade 1 right great toe sprain, EssentiallySports reported that Garland is expected to return shortly after next week’s NBA All-Star break. Lue said that the Clippers’ medical staff won’t know definitively until evaluating Garland. Nonetheless, a source familiar with Garland’s progress expressed optimism he could play as early as when the Clippers play the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 19 at Intuit Dome.

“Recovery is going good,” Garland said. “I’m back on the court, working out, doing the things that I love to do. I’m just waiting for the green light. So I’m ready to hoop. Whenever I get the green light, I’m ready to go forward.”

The Clippers said that Harden missed the past two games for personal reasons, and Lue added that Harden stayed at his home in Arizona. Harden didn’t return to LA to join his new team. Atkinson also said that the team won’t practice on Thursday, but NBA reporter Chris Haynes said Harden is still expected to play during Saturday’s game in Sacramento.

“It gives you confidence,” Atkinson said of the Harden deal. “It also says it’s a statement to the players, coaches and the front office that we’re doing everything in our power to get this team to the mountaintop. It takes a real gumption and fortitude and real strength in what you believe to take a swing like this.”

It’s a swing that both teams believe they can turn into a home run.

After consulting with former Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni about his partnership with Harden, Atkinson believes that Harden will thrive as a scorer and a passer out of isolation and pick-and-roll sets. With Mitchell’s “selfless” approach, Atkinson envisions both players feeling empowered to be themselves.

“That’s a big part of this dynamic – how they work as leaders together,” Atkinson said. “But Donovan is the first one to take a step back to elevate someone else. He did with Evan [Mobley]. He did with Darius. And I’m sure with James, he’ll do the same thing. But he also knows when he has to take over a game. That’ll give him a nice balance.”

Garland told Lue that “he catches on really quick.” Lue liked hearing those words, considering he had Garland watch footage of Irving. Lue also noted that Garland ranks “second in the league in making decisions off of pick-and-rolls.”

“A lot of people say I’m nonchalant, but I care about basketball,” Garland said. “I care about winning games. This is what I dreamt of doing all my life. So I just want to put my best foot forward and try to do as best as I can for ‘Clippers Nation.’ I want to win basketball games. I want to make everybody around me better. I think I’m a really good teammate and am easy to get along with.”

After processing various emotions in their first game since the trade, the Cavaliers and Clippers will find out soon how well this deal can work for both sides.

Mark Medina is an NBA insider for EssentiallySports. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.