The Harden Trade Was Absolutely a Necessity

Ken makes the unfiltered case that the James Harden trade was the only move the Cavs could have made given the roster's salary constraints, depleted draft capital, and Darius Garland's depressed trade value — and anyone still calling it a mistake isn't watching the games. The bigger honest admission is that this window is likely two years max before the roster gets broken up, which makes tonight's Game 6 and whatever comes after it feel genuinely urgent in a way Cleveland fans haven't experienced since LeBron was here. With Harden holding Detroit to 37.5 percent shooting while carrying the offensive load for 43 minutes in Game 5, the trust debate is shifting — but Ken isn't pretending the squeamishness disappears completely when a must-win game six is on the line.