The Cavaliers didn’t waste a second after landing James Harden. The ink on the deal was barely dry before head coach Kenny Atkinson was already dialing up a familiar voice - Mike D’Antoni, the mastermind behind Harden’s most explosive years in Houston.
“Obviously, James has been great with the Clippers and in Ty Lue’s system,” Atkinson said. “But I do think with Mike and that Houston team, that was the pinnacle of his powers. So we’d be foolish not to talk to Mike, not to go back and look at the Houston years and see what we can implement.”
That version of Harden wasn’t just good - he was a force of nature. He lived in MVP conversations, dominated the ball with surgical precision, and ran an offense that revolved entirely around his ability to read and manipulate defenses. He was relentless, unguardable in isolation, and a pick-and-roll savant.
Now, at 36, Harden isn’t the same player physically - but that doesn’t mean he’s lost his edge. He’s evolved.
He’s smarter, more measured, and, maybe most importantly, more adaptable. That’s exactly what sold Cleveland on the deal.
“I think our ceiling is definitely obviously higher when you have a guy like James Harden,” Donovan Mitchell said. “Sometimes the front office makes moves, and now it’s on us to execute. We weren’t able to get it done for the past three years, and now our goal is to try to get it done now.”
Mitchell isn’t sugarcoating the adjustment ahead. He knows this kind of transition doesn’t happen overnight.
“It’s not gonna always be pretty,” he said. “But for us, this is the time.”
And he’s right - the time is now. The Cavs have been knocking on the door for a few seasons, but adding a player like Harden changes the entire equation.
It’s not just about what he brings as a scorer or playmaker. It’s how his presence reshapes the floor for everyone else.
That starts with the frontcourt duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Harden’s track record with bigs is well-documented - think Clint Capela in Houston, or even his brief work with Joel Embiid in Philly. He knows how to feed rim-runners, how to manipulate defenders in the pick-and-roll, and how to create easy buckets for his bigs.
“What is he averaging, 25 and eight?” Mitchell said. “The biggest thing I’m excited for is what he’s gonna be able to do for JA and Ev.”
Atkinson sees the same upside.
“We’re a darn good pick-and-roll team as is, and now you add one of the greatest ever,” he said. “When you watch his film, what really stands out is the passing.
He’ll elevate our bigs. He makes others better.”
And it’s not just the bigs who stand to benefit. Shooters like Sam Merrill and Max Strus, young talent like Jaylon Tyson, and veterans like Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis - all of them could see cleaner looks and more opportunities just by sharing the floor with Harden.
Right now, the focus isn’t on reinventing the wheel. It’s about building chemistry - fast.
The Cavs know that talent alone doesn’t win in this league. It’s about fit, trust, and basketball IQ.
Fortunately, they’ve got plenty of that in both Harden and Mitchell.
“Great players fit together usually,” Atkinson said. “It’s up to us as coaches and collaborating with Donovan and James. When you have high-IQ players, it makes it a heck of a lot easier.”
The Cavs aren’t easing into this new era - they’re diving in headfirst. With Harden in the fold, the expectations shift.
This isn’t just about making the playoffs anymore. It’s about chasing something bigger.
And with the pieces they’ve got, that chase just got a lot more interesting.