Grade the Trade: Cavaliers send Garland to Brooklyn in shocking proposal

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a core four of young players, all with different skill sets. From Darius Garland’s passing to Donovan Mitchell’s scoring to Evan Mobley’s defense in space to Jarrett Allen’s rim protection, this group deserves time to grow together and up in general.

That hasn’t kept rumors from swirling around Jarrett Allen all summer, and the logic for why an Allen trade might be necessary is sound, even if the most likely outcome was always that this group would get to run it back. This week’s rumors, however, were much more troublesome.

Are the Cavaliers trying to trade Darius Garland?

Word leaked out courtesy of one rumor-mongerer we don’t care to name here at KJG, but was also repeated by Fox Sports’ John Fanta (nominally a college basketball reporter and analyst but based in Ohio). The rumor? That the Cavaliers were considering trades for All-Star point guard Darius Garland.

Those rumors were immediately shot down by people who have real, proven connections inside of the Cavaliers organization. Brian Windhorst and Chris Fedor immediately set the record straight:

Let’s take just a moment to dwell in those flimsy waters, however. What if the Cavs were open to shopping Garland? How much of a trade return would he command? Different teams would offer different packages, but let’s compare Garland to one other point guard “not” on the trade market: Damian Lillard.

The Brooklyn Nets have been linked to Lillard, so it’s reasonable that they would also be interested in a younger, less-proven All-Star point guard. What kind of massive package might it take to provide fair value for a player like Garland? Let’s unpack a potential trade in order to highlight just how valuable Garland is.

Laying out a Darius Garland trade

The Brooklyn Nets are trying to win in this scenario after adding Darius Garland, but so are the Cleveland Cavaliers. The package coming back, therefore, needs to include both win-now pieces and future assets.

That means using a player like Ben Simmons as matching salary is off the table, while a rebuilding team might be willing to take him back. On the other hand, the Nets will need to keep Mikal Bridges to pair with Garland, and likewise with Nic Claxton (a player who doesn’t help the Cavs much).

Here’s how such a deal could look:

The Brooklyn Nets would have a core of Darius Garland, Mikal Bridges, Nic Claxton and Cam Johnson. That’s an incredible amount of shooting. Add a wing at the 2 who can defend guards, be that Royce O’Neale or Joe Harris on the roster or a player off the roster, and they have a team that can win now but is young enough to get even better over the coming years.

It’s a big offer for Garland. In this theoretical situation, is there any chance that the Cleveland Cavaliers would say yes to this trade?

Would the Cavaliers really trade Darius Garland?

Look back over that trade offer from the Nets. Three first-round picks, in this case shorting the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks. This year’s first-round pick Dariq Whitehead, who fills a position of need and could be a long-term starter. Dorian Finney-Smith, likely worth a first on the trade market as a 3-and-D wing. Spencer Dinwiddie is a capable point guard and absolutely positive value in the deal.

Depending on how you compute it, that’s essentially six first-round picks. It compares favorably to the Donovan Mitchell package, short a couple of pick-swaps. That’s the kind of package a player like Garland deserves. He’s an All-Star not yet in his prime, a dynamic on-ball creator and gifted passer. Teams bend over backward to add that type of player. Add in that he is under team control for such a long time and he would be one of the most valuable players to be traded in recent memory.

That’s what it would take to land Darius Garland. Not matching salary and a first. Not a pu pu platter of role players. If the Cavaliers were ever going to trade Garland, a team would need to come with a mammoth offer.

The problem for the Nets, the Heat, the 76ers, the name-your-team? Garland isn’t on the market. When you have a player like Garland and are trying to compete, you don’t trade a player like Darius Garland. Are there difficulties defensively when you have two small guards like Garland and Mitchell in the backcourt? Absolutely, but there are also unstoppable offensive possibilities.

Given how Garland has improved year after year, do not be surprised if he is the best player on the Cavs in the near future. He’s the kind of player you go all-out to keep, and the Cavs are sure to do that.

Grade: Not happening