LA’s Big Moves

James Harden (Cleveland Cavaliers, Arizona State)

The Los Angeles Clippers had a nightmare 6-21 start to the 2025-26 season.

And their unusually disrespectful treatment of the retiring franchise legend Chris Paul turned them into one of the NBA’s biggest laughingstocks.

However, they went on a huge run and were near a .500 record before deciding to make moves for their future at the trade deadline.

They traded away James Harden to the Cavaliers for Darius Garland and a second-round pick, while also trading Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown to the Pacers for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks, and a second-round pick.

Considering the Clippers had pretty much no draft capital before these moves (thanks to the Paul George and James Harden trades), they did a solid job acquiring some assets while still staying competitive as a play-in team.

Meanwhile, the Cavs have gone all-in and feel like adding Harden can help them make it out of the East. “The Beard” is playing some of the most efficient basketball of his career right now.

In his first seven games as a Cavalier, he has gone 6-1 while putting up 18.9 points and 8.0 assists per game with a true shooting percentage of 65.9, by far the highest mark of his career since his final season in Oklahoma City as a 22-year-old.

Harden is only taking 12.4 shots per game, which is once again lower than any of his seasons since his 2011-12 season in OKC.

His three-point efficiency has skyrocketed, as he’s currently shooting 48.8% from deep in Cleveland, up 12.5% from his career average.

Unfortunately, he did pick up a right thumb injury, which won’t keep him out for long due to Harden being left-handed, though it’s still something to look out for.

With Donovan Mitchell as the team’s undisputed top option, Harden won’t have to carry a massive offensive load anymore, which can help him play efficient basketball and fight his playoff demons as he searches for his first championship.

Harden’s role in Cleveland is that of a floor general, and he has already helped his teammates reach a new level.

“Bringing James on has given us a renewed confidence,” said Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson. “I felt like we were kind of missing that edge, that belief. I feel like we’re regaining that. A lot of it has to do with who we added in the trade.”

Bennedict Mathurin (Los Angeles Clippers, Arizona)

Darius Garland still hasn’t made his debut for the Clippers, but he hopes to make a similar impact as Bennedict Mathurin when he does.

Mathurin started the year off as the Pacers’ “tank commander”, but that role quickly faded away as the team began to wonder about his long-term fit once Tyrese Haliburton returns in 2026-27.

A thumb injury that caused him to miss 11 games didn’t help either, and the Pacers eventually decided to move on from Mathurin instead of discussing a contract extension in the offseason.

The talented scorer has found new life in LA, as he has put up 28.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in his last three games while shooting 48.1% from the field.

While they’re no longer contenders, with Mathurin, Garland, and the ageless wonder that is Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers will still be competitive and can cause serious problems for contenders in the postseason.

Rookie Report

Egor Dёmin (Brooklyn Nets, BYU)

After a very successful stretch of play in January, Egor Dёmin capped the month off with a then-career high performance against the Utah Jazz.

He scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while making six of his 12 three-pointers. That was his 34th consecutive game with a three-pointer, which set a rookie record.

“There’s a reason why we drafted him,” Nets HC Jordi Fernández said. “We believed that [his] shooting was NBA shooting and he’s proven it from the beginning.”

Dёmin’s record-breaking streak ended in the following game, as he went 0-4 from deep against the first-seeded Pistons.

However, he bounced back quickly, as he set a new career-high with a 26-point performance against the Magic just two days later.

With Cam Thomas’ departure, the Nets have handed the keys to their franchise to Dёmin, and everyone in the organization is intrigued by his potential.

“You see the confidence growing on him,” Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe said. “Who knows what Egor can be in the next couple of years?”

Lawson Lovering (Memphis Grizzlies, Colorado/Utah)

It’s always nice to see someone finally achieve their lifelong dream.

Lawson Lovering, a 7’0 center who played college basketball for the Colorado Buffaloes and the Utah Utes, went undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft, but that didn’t stop him from chasing his dream of playing in the NBA.

Lovering played for the Grizzlies in the Summer League and was signed to their G-League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle. After a few months with the Hustle, Lovering was finally called up by the injury-riddled Grizzlies.

On February 11, Lovering became just the second player from Wyoming to play in an NBA game since the NBA-ABA merger.

In their next game, Lovering was named a starter and put up a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 rebounds to help the Grizzlies beat the Jazz.

Lovering has returned to the Hustle since then, but it’s not far-fetched to assume he’ll get more NBA opportunities this season.

Playing for a Winner

Nikola Vučević (Boston Celtics, USC)

Nikola Vučević has quietly carved out a nice career for himself. He passed the 17,250-point mark this year, which now means he’s officially a top-100 scorer in NBA history.

He will surpass $200 million in career earnings this season, has made two All-Star teams, and is third on the Magic’s all-time scoring list.

However, Vučević has never played for a true contender, as he has never won a playoff series that he actually played in (he did not play in Philadelphia’s infamous upset series victory over Chicago in 2012).

That could all change this year, as his new team, the Boston Celtics, are currently on a roll in a relatively weak Eastern Conference.

Vučević hasn’t been asked to do much in Boston, averaging just 24.0 minutes per night while the team has gone 5-2 in the seven games since his arrival.

Top Veterans

Dillon Brooks (Phoenix Suns, Oregon)

Dillon Brooks broke his hand in the Suns’ double overtime win over the Magic on February 21 and could miss time until April, which is a shame since he was playing some of the best basketball of his life.

In the 10 games before his injury, Brooks averaged 25.0 points per contest while shooting 46.0% from the field. This stretch included a career night against the Pistons, as he scored 40 points to help the Suns to an upset win.

The Suns have been one of the biggest surprises of this season, but they need Brooks to return as soon as possible if they want to stay alive in the West’s playoff race.

Jrue Holiday (Portland Trail Blazers, UCLA)

Irue Holiday is aging like a fine wine. The former all-star is one of my favorite players of all time, and he’s currently helping a young Trail Blazers squad fight for a playoff spot.

Some feared that his game would drop off following a 27-game absence due to a calf injury, but the 35-year-old is still putting up great numbers.

Over his last eight games, Holiday has averaged 19.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 51.4% from the floor and 44.9% from deep.

His true shooting percentage of 64.8 ranks third amongst all players with at least 100 shots during that span, which has helped the Blazers to a 5-3 record.