Earlier this week, we asked Cleveland Cavaliers fans to grade the James Harden-for-Darius Garland swap after we’ve seen how the Harden-led Cavs looked in the playoffs. Back in February, fans gave the trade an A grade. This time around, they weren’t as generous.
The survey was pretty split as to what grade to give Harden. The consensus was a C. Only 10% gave the grade an A, which is 52% lower than it was in February.
Understandably, opinions on the Harden trade have soured.
The Cavs saw a wide-open Eastern Conference back in the winter and pushed their chips in with a win-now move. That deal allowed the Cavs to advance further in the playoffs than they have at any point with this core. But it didn’t solve the fundamental issues at the top of the roster as seen in their one-sided loss at the hands of the New York Knicks.
This fall, the Cavs will be entering a new season in a much less wide-open conference. The Indiana Pacers should be a factor again with the return of Tyrese Haliburton. The Miami Heat have entered the fray after the addition of Giannis Antetokounmpo. And young teams like the Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, and Charlotte Hornets should be better next season.
This new reality is reflected in the odds.
According to FanDuel, Cleveland has the sixth-best odds to win the Eastern Conference at +1500. They have the 11th-highest odds to win the NBA Finals at +4000.
We’ll see how the roster looks by the time training camp opens up in a few months. There’s a good chance it looks drastically different. However, at this point, it’s understandable to be more down on this trade. The Cavs sacrificed some of their long-term stability for a win-now move, and are currently not in a fantastic position to win now as presently constructed.
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