James Harden has easiest trip to make Cavs debut he possibly could have after trade

Hey, look who it is, James Harden in the Intuit Dome.

Except this is different: The Los Angeles Clippers star is in a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform now.

There's no guarantee Harden will make his Cavs debut at the first opportunity. But it couldn't be an easier trip for him to the game.

That's because on Wednesday night, just more than 24 hours after the deal was reported, the Cavs play the Clippers on L.A.'s home floor.

MORE: Why the Cavs had to trade for James Harden

It's an incredible irony in some ways.

It's also possible that the closeness helped grease the skids on a deal.

The Cavs' front office was supposed to be flying into town to be with the team through the trade deadline. If they had wanted, they could've had in-person negotiations with the Clippers.

That wouldn't be the norm in this day and age, but why not throw it back to a little bit of old-school negotiating?

The deal wasn't that complicated anyway, just Harden for Darius Garland and a second-round pick. Simple stuff.

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

If Harden debuts already, it'll be quite the scene, playing his whole old team, Garland down on the other bench probably not playing due to injury.

It'll be odd even if Harden doesn't play and just wears a fancy outfit while hanging out with the Cleveland teammates he just met in a building very familiar to him.

The Cavs hope Harden takes them on a long journey from here. But first, he stays right at home for a swan song.

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