James Harden has a habit of leaving his teams on rather poor terms, but that does not appear to be the case with the Los Angeles Clippers.
After debuting with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, Harden had some very high praise for his former franchise. He paid tribute to coach Ty Lue and referred to the Clippers as “one of the best organizations that I’ve been in.”
“I think it was just amazing on both sides. Just being open and transparent with each other. I think that was the best move for both sides. And I think it worked out for both sides very well. I’m happy for them,” Harden said. “One of the best organizations that I’ve been in from top to bottom, from (Steve) Ballmer to (Lawrence) Frank. Everybody in the front office. Coaching staff, T-Lue, they helped me be the player that I am. And then my teammates. … I’m appreciative of the opportunity and I’ll never forget it or take it for granted.
James Harden on his trade from the Clippers:
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) February 8, 2026
“I think it was just amazing on both sides. Just being open and transparent with each other. It was the best move for both sides. And I think it worked out for both sides very well… One of the best organizations that I’ve been in… pic.twitter.com/5UyjpUsoXL
Harden has not always been this conciliatory when leaving a team behind. In this case, he really does not seem to have any complaints about the Clippers, even if they may have been blindsided by his desire for a trade.
It certainly helps that the Clippers were able to acquire a young All-Star in Darius Garland as part of the Harden deal. That is a fairly good return for a 36-year-old who probably would not have stuck with the Clippers for more than another year or two.
Harden scored 23 points in his Cavs debut, a 132-126 win at Sacramento. He also had his postgame interview crashed by Travis Scott.
