Harden Drops 24 in Preseason Debut as Cavs Roll Past Magic

James Harden missed Cleveland's last preseason game with ankle soreness, then came back and torched the Orlando Magic for a game-high 24 points in a 119-105 win. He drilled his first five attempts and controlled the offense start to finish — not bad for a 37-year-old who reportedly still looked like he hadn't lost a step.

That matters more than a typical exhibition line. The Cavs acquired Harden midway through last season, which left almost no runway to build chemistry. Now he's had a full summer and training camp with the group, and the early returns say the integration is done. For fantasy purposes, that's the whole ballgame.

Evan Mobley chipped in 14 points and 7 rebounds but shot just 3-of-10 from the floor. He bailed out the night by hammering 8-of-9 free throws — a reminder that his fantasy floor holds up even when the jumper doesn't fall. Third-year wing Jaylon Tyson added 13 points on three triples in only 16 minutes, exactly the bench-scoring role Cleveland is counting on from him.

Defensively, this was a response game. Cleveland was unhappy with how they guarded the perimeter and attacked the glass in last week's loss to Boston, and they leaned on Orlando's thin offense to clean it up. The Magic managed just 13-of-36 from deep against a more active Cavs defense at the point of attack. Mario Hezonja bounced back with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, plus 5 boards, 3 blocks and 2 steals.

The Fantasy Fallout

Harden sits at No. 19 overall in our rankings (G10) after posting 23.6 points, 8 assists and 42.4 fantasy points per game across 70 appearances last season (2025-26). His last five games of that run dipped 11.1 fantasy points below his average, so some managers may be nervous — but a clean preseason return and a full camp on offense suggest that slide was fatigue, not decline.

Mobley (our No. 35 overall, No. 6 at center; 18.2 points, 9 rebounds, 39.7 fantasy points per game in 2025-26) remains a rock-solid start despite his own recent form dip of 7.8 points below average over his final five. Harden's the buy-low target here if a worried manager in your league is still fixated on that late dip. Tyson (No. 145, 24.7 fantasy points per game last season) is a deep-league streaming name only — monitor his minutes, but don't rush. Cleveland closes the preseason Tuesday before opening at Philadelphia on October 22.