3 moves for the Cavs now that the 2022 NBA Draft is over

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Darius Garland (right) and Lamar Stevens, Cleveland Cavaliers. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

3 moves for Cavs now that the Draft is over: Extend Darius Garland

Darius Garland is 22 years old, just completed his third season in the league and made the All-Star Game behind his prolific combination of scoring and passing. Only four players in NBA history have ever made at least 2.5 3-pointers per game at 38 percent or above (accurate and prolific shooting) and had at least eight assists: Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard and Trae Young. None did it as young as Garland was last season.

It’s the next NBA, when shooting is a more developed skill early for players, but it’s still unusual for a player to pair that with high-level passing, especially at Garland’s age. In the past 20 seasons only 13 players age 22 or under have averaged at least eight assists per game, and only five have reached Garland’s 8.6 number. That list includes Chris Paul, Trae Young, Deron Williams and Luke Doncic — four All-NBA players — plus Kendall Marshall, pass-only guard who averaged just eight points per game in the 2013-14 NBA season.

In other words, what Garland has done already is special, and his arrow is firmly pointed up as he further improves his game. Advanced numbers back up the eye test and the stats; Garland is driving his team towards winning basketball, especially on offense. The Cavs should absolutely lock him up long-term.

It’s possible that the Cavs and Garland work out some sort of mild concessions back from the absolute maximum number allowed; the Cavs can probably withhold a player option on the end of the deal, and perhaps the “Super-max” numbers if Garland makes an All-NBA team can be parsed out according to which team he makes, something other teams have introduced when signing their rising fourth-year players a max extension.

Garland deserves the max, and he will likely get it. Unlike Collin Sexton the year before him, Garland has proven his brand of basketball elevates the entire team, and the Cavs are right to go all-in committing to have Garland in place for years to come.