Donovan Mitchell Makes Moving Statement About Cavs’ Championship Chances Following James Harden’s Addition

The biggest move at the trade deadline this season was James Harden‘s move to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland and a second-round pick. Harden joins hands with Donovan Mitchell, and the two guards are expected to make some noise in the East this season.

The trade was a surprise to many as James Harden and Kawhi Leonard seemed to have steadied the ship after a disastrous start to the 2025-26 campaign for the Los Angeles Clippers. They had won 17 of their last 22 games before Harden’s move.

However, based on his performances in the first half of the campaign, Harden has shown that he is still an elite guard in the league. The former MVP’s first two games for the Cavs have been promising. They recorded wins over the Sacramento Kings and a narrow 119-117 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

Harden is averaging 25.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 8.1 assists this season and 22.5 points, six rebounds and 7.5 assists since joining the Cavs. With Donovan Mitchell being the primary scorer of the team and Harden being the primary ball-handler and secondary scorer, the Cavs will be hoping their recent trade will move the needle in the East, despite some doubts from rival teams.

Mitchell is currently averaging 29 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists and continues to show why he is considered to be one of the best scorers in the NBA today. Since the departure of LeBron James in 2018, the Cavs have struggled to find success in the postseason. Hence, it appears that the Cavs are throwing all their eggs into the basket.

And Mitchell agrees with the decision as well. In a recent interview with Cleveland.com, Mitchell believes that this is their championship window, and it is time to deliver now.

This is the window. This is the time. In a sense, the team is going all in… When you make that move, understanding James’ age and where he’s at in his career, the time is now.

Donovan Mitchell:

“This is the window. This is the time. In a sense, the team is going all in… When you make that move, understanding James' age and where he's at in his career, the time is now.”

(via @ChrisFedor, h/t @RealGM) pic.twitter.com/lhu604RBgm

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 10, 2026

The early signs have been positive for the Cavs. As Harden and Mitchell develop their chemistry, the Cavs will fancy their chances in a wide open Eastern Conference.

Paul Pierce compares Mitchell-Harden to Dwyane Wade-LeBron James

After topping the Eastern Conference with 64 wins last season, there were a lot of hopes and expectations from Mitchell and his men in the postseason. But injuries eventually took a toll on the squad, and the Cavs were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in five games in the second round.

After a slow start to the campaign, the Cavs have seen a significant improvement since the turn of the year. They are on a four-match winning streak and currently sit at fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 33-21 record.

Harden’s trade has undoubtedly made the Cavs a better team, but adding a player of Harden’s caliber isn’t as simple as plugging him in and playing. Both Mitchell and Harden are known for their high usage rates. Mitchell ranks fourth and Harden ranks sixth in the league in usage rates.

On Ticket and The Truth, former NBA champion Paul Pierce spoke about how their high usage rates could create some significant problems and the two stars should look to LeBron James and Dwyane Wade as the blueprint.

Somebody’s got to be more willing than the other because that’s how they’re effective. Who’s going to be more willing to say, ‘Alright, I’m going to need to sacrifice controlling the ball.’ Wade had to learn to play different with LeBron.

It will be interesting to see how Mitchell and Harden adjust their games to one another just like James and Wade had done for each other during their four-year spell with the Miami Heat.

Eastern Conference Finals is the minimum for the Cavs with James Harden

Harden has a history of making lives easier for bigs in the dunker’s spot, so Evan Mobley should stand to benefit. Harden’s playmaking abilities will ease Mitchell’s playmaking burden and will let him be more of a scorer.

On the latest episode of ESPN’s Get Up, former NBA player and ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins spoke about the Cavs’ ceiling with their newly acquired point guard.

I believe the Cavs’ ceiling is the Finals. Do I have them going to the Finals, absolutely not. I’m looking at the Cavs, and I’m looking at Donovan Mitchell, and I’m saying minimum, you better get to the conference finals.

The Cavs have hit the ground running with their new star. And they have another 28 games before the playoffs to fine-tune what was already a well-oiled machine before Harden got there.

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