Darius Garland finds himself at the center of trade rumors for the second consecutive offseason. After the Cleveland Cavaliers flamed out in the second round again, nothing can be listed as off the table this summer.
Garland did enjoy a great bounce back season, becoming an All-Star for the second time and playing a career-high 75 games. Garland looked well on his way to a great postseason, averaging 24 points and seven assists per game through two games against the Miami Heat. Then, the point guard re-aggravated his toe injury he suffered in the regular season and was never the same after that.
Now, the Cavs are reportedly open-minded to dealing Garland and while they are not actively looking to trade him, they are willing to listen.
The Cavaliers would regret trading Garland this summer
Hastily moving on from Garland could be a negative turning point for the organization. His expert playmaking and offensive leadership is a crucial element of the Cavs' offense under coach Kenny Atkinson.
The Pacers series was a prime example of why the Cavs need Garland to compete for a championship. Indiana was putting constant pressure on Cleveland’s guards and it was so bad that Ty Jerome was backing the ball up the court. The only Cavalier guard that could consistently break the press was Donovan Mitchell. That series showed that the Cavs needed a guard who could consistently break down pressure and keep the team’s offense flowing.
It felt at times that Cleveland fell into old habits offensively, which meant reverting back to the “Donovan Mitchell please save us” offense. Mitchell has made strides as a playmaker, but he is a scorer first at heart. Garland is the opposite, which is why the two fit so well this season. Trading Garland would add a playmaking burden to Mitchell’s workload and we saw how he broke down against Indiana having to carry that weight.
Even if the Cavs were to trade Garland, the proposed packages out there are less than appealing. Cavs insider Chris Fedor proposed a Jalen Suggs for Garland swap, but that would downgrade Cleveland's offense significantly. Fedor also floated a potential Jaden McDaniels for Garland swap, which is a little better considering McDaniels’ growing offensive game and defensive prowess. Still, it is not necessarily a deal the Cavs need to make. Following the addition of De'Andre Hunter, the Cavs have wing depth with Max Strus and Jaylon Tyson also filling out the wings.
If the Cavs decide to part ways with their All-Star point guard, they open up a huge hole on the roster. Garland’s playmaking and shot creating opens up their entire offense and the team could suffer if he's moved. The Cleveland Cavaliers have to navigate this market cautiously and cannot risk aggressively shopping their fan-favorite star.