Over the last few seasons, James Harden was not the LA Clippers’ second option; he was the 1B, with Kawhi Leonard as the 1A. This is concluded from the advanced metrics, as his usage percentage was 29.6% in 2024-25 and 31.3% through 44 games with the Clippers this season (2025-26). The former MVP was essentially never given a true passenger role once Paul George departed, and next to Donovan Mitchell on the Cleveland Cavaliers, that’s what he’s in.
In fact, since becoming a Cavalier, Harden’s usage percentage is in the lower 20s, precisely at 23.8%. This is a significant difference from his days on the Clippers, and it explains why he has been so efficient in his shot chart.
Cleveland is reaping the benefits in the win column, Harden has less pressure on his body, and Cavaliers fans can officially claim ‘The Land’ has arguably the best backcourt in basketball.
This is a perfect example of everyone being happy that their front office executed the blockbuster trade at the deadline.
James Harden is loving the easier workload the Cavaliers have given him
The dream for any superstar in their mid-30s is to have a role suited for them on a team capable of going all the way. James Harden is living it with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and it’s evident that he is glad to be where he is.
Through 19 games in Cleveland, Harden has averaged 21.0 points, 7.7 assists, and 5.4 rebounds, shooting a shocking 48.2% from the field and 45.2% from beyond the arc.
The shooting splits look starkly different from the ones he posted on the LA Clippers(41.9% from the field and 34.7% from three this season), and the credit goes to the system Kenny Atkinson runs.
Atkinson has found a way, with the help of Cleveland’s All-Stars like Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, to maximize Harden’s strengths while having him work less than he ever has before.
As a result, Harden is still playing the two-man game he’s known for, breaking ankles with a lethal step back, and playmaking at the all-world level.
He just has a weaker load on his shoulders, and in all honesty, with the way the Clippers’ season was going, that wasn’t going to happen under Tyronn Lue.
So, of course, Harden is loving life in his new threads. Playing this new brand of basketball is the best way to hold his body up through the end of his career, which is clearly the goal he’s set for himself.