Is James Harden playing tonight? What we know about new Cavs guard's debut

James Harden could make his Cleveland Cavaliers debut against the Los Angeles Clippers, the team that just traded him for Darius Garland.

That matchup comes on Wednesday night, just more than 24 hours after the trade was first reported on Tuesday.

It's not clear, though, whether Harden will actually take the floor.

There are a couple of factors at play. Harden had just missed his last two games with the Clippers for personal reasons, with it being unclear what exactly may have been causing the absences, trade talks or otherwise.

It's also not necessarily standard for a player to debut just a single day after being traded to a new team.

MORE: Why the Cavs had to trade for James Harden

Is James Harden playing tonight?

Nothing is official about Harden's status, but signs point to no.

He was already listed on the injury report for Wednesday's game as out for personal reasons when he was still on the Clippers.

If those personal reasons were just because he was in trade talks, then maybe that goes out of the way and he's got a chance.

MORE: How the Nikola Vucevic trade changes the Celtics' lineup

Then the Cavs would have to deem it worthwhile for Harden to play the emotional game against his former team while barely knowing his Cavs' teammates or the system they play.

Cavaliers Wire did post on X after the trade that Harden won't debut Wednesday night, although it's not clear where that reporting came from.

If Harden doesn't play Wednesday night, the Cavs' next game is Saturday against the Sacramento Kings.

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