James Harden is day-to-day with a right ankle issue, according to Thursday's Cavaliers injury report filed less than an hour before Cleveland's season opener against the Celtics. His availability for the 7 p.m. ET tipoff has not been confirmed, and the designation is new since he carried no prior status on the report.
What happened
The Cavaliers listed James Harden as day-to-day on the Thursday 6:53 p.m. ET injury report, citing an ankle issue in his right leg. He had no previous status listed. The report's comment, attributed to Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer, says Cleveland and Harden agreed Thursday to a three-year deal worth $97 million. The team's expected return date for him is Oct. 11.
What it means for the Cavaliers
Cleveland opens its 2026-27 season at home against the Celtics on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET, with the Cavaliers at 0-0 since the new season has not started. Last season Harden averaged 23.6 points, 8.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds over 34.8 minutes across 70 games, numbers the Cavaliers would miss if he sits. Without him on the floor, Cleveland's returning rotation leans on Donovan Mitchell (33.5 minutes, 27.9 points), Darius Garland (30.5 minutes, 18.0 points) and Evan Mobley (31.9 minutes, 18.2 points), based on last season's box scores. There is no record split with and without Harden yet, since no regular-season games have been played this season.
What to watch
The Cavaliers' next injury report will show whether Harden's status changes ahead of Thursday's tipoff against the Celtics. Cleveland's current expected return date for him is Oct. 11, three days after this report. Peyton Watson also appears on Thursday's report as day-to-day, giving Cleveland a second name to track entering the opener. No other update on Harden's ankle has been made public.
Is James Harden playing vs Celtics?
Harden is listed as day-to-day with a right ankle issue on the injury report filed Thursday at 6:53 p.m. ET, less than an hour before the 7 p.m. tipoff. Whether he starts or sits has not been announced.
When will James Harden be back?
Cleveland's expected return date for Harden is Oct. 11.