Mike Gansey was reportedly key in the James Harden acquisition

The James Harden for Darius Garland swap was one of the more shocking trades of the past few deadlines. It was one of those deals where you assume you’re being ‘centeled’.

Once the confusion and initial shock clear, it becomes a question of how and why the Cleveland Cavaliers, and more specifically Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman, made this move. However, it appears that he might not have been the primary catalyst for getting the deal done.

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In a recent article, Yaron Weitzman of The Ringer noted that “the Cavs’ February trade for James Harden was the direct result of back-channel talks between Gansey, who by then was Cleveland’s no. 2 to Altman in the front office, and Harden’s agents.”

This makes Gansey’s departure and his construction of the league’s newest super team with the Philadelphia 76ers sting a little more than it already did. The Cavaliers have made a lot of trades over the past half-decade, e.g., Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Caris LeVert, and De’Andre Hunter. Statements like Weitzman’s raise questions about how involved Gansey was in getting those deals done.

It’s natural to wonder how the Cavaliers will perform in trades now that Gansey is out of the building. If the team’s track record begins to change, Altman will draw more criticism and less credit. While it seems unfair to try to figure out who was more responsible for trades, Altman has always been known as someone willing to take a swing. If that changes, questions about who was really driving those daring choices will emerge.

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mike-gansey-reportedly-key-james-173000709.html

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Publish date : 2026-10-16 17:30:00

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