The Cleveland Cavaliers reshaped their roster at the 2026 NBA trade deadline, and Jaylon Tyson admitted the addition of James Harden caught the locker room off guard.
Speaking on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Tyson described the moment Cleveland finalized the blockbuster deal that sent Darius Garland to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for the former MVP.
“Man, it was kind of out of nowhere,” Tyson said. “We’ve seen the obviously the rumors that came out and the next day it happened. Obviously we love Darius. I mean, I love him as a vet as like a big bro kind of lean on. Yeah. Really good player, by the way.”
“But I mean, James, his resume speaks for itself. Top 75 player, Hall of Famer. And I was like ‘Oh, man, this is real.’ He told us like, I want to win. That’s all I wanna do. I’ve done everything else. I want to win a championship and, lean on, kind of leaning on him now to like help him get to where he wants to go. And all of us have the same goal in mind.”
The trade, completed on February 4, broke up Cleveland’s long-standing backcourt pairing and signaled a win-now approach.
Harden, 36, has averaged 19.3 points and 8.7 assists in his first three games with the Cavaliers, shooting 45.5% from the field and 42.1% from three-point range.
Cleveland entered the All-Star break at 34–21, fourth in the Eastern Conference and riding a five-game winning streak.
For Tyson, the adjustment centers on hierarchy and decision-making. The second-year wing is averaging 13.9 points on 51.4% shooting and 47.5% from three, thriving as a floor spacer and secondary scorer alongside Donovan Mitchell.
The Cavaliers also executed additional deadline moves, including a three-team trade involving the Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls, and a subsequent salary-clearing deal with the Utah Jazz.
