The dream Garland trade
Trading Darius Garland needs to put him in a position to win in the playoffs again while returning players who can elevate the Cavaliers, too. Garland has steadily grown every season, and Cleveland's return to the playoffs does not happen without him. Trading him to a bad, uninspiring situation would look bad on the front office. In a dream scenario, the Cavs could part ways with Garland with both parties looking at a brighter future.
In 2022, the Cavaliers dealt Lauri Markkanen as a centerpiece in the original trade that brought Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz to The Land. Since, the Jazz have grown into a promising young team, but they still lack a true facilitator. With At Markkanen at 27 years old, he will likely not fit their timeline once they return to playoff contention. In this deal, Utah returns two of Cleveland's unprotected firsts they sent in the initial blockbuster in 2027 and 2029 alongside a 2027 Los Angeles Lakers Top-4 protected first.
Utah brings in a young leader to lead them back to the postseason alongside this year's 10th overall Draft selection Cody Williams and Walker Kessler. The Jazz also unload John Collins' sizeable contract. With Garland as the leader of the future, Utah can follow a similar trajectory to the 2021-22 Cavaliers, allowing Garland a pathway to return to All-Star potential and drive an offense.
For the Cavaliers, they get a second chance with Markkanen both as a second star with Mitchell and potential long-term frontcourt partner for Evan Mobley. With the Jazz, Markkanen has blossomed as a combo forward and All-Star talent, showing versatility to play as either a three or four. His floor spacing, defense, rebounding and overall production have risen with the Jazz. Bringing him back to the Cavs could allow him to play a substantial role on a legitimate postseason squad.
Cleveland also gains control of their future again with the three picks. They can package them into later deals to add elite role players or another star. Collins serves as a backup center with a solid three-point shot.
Ultimately, this trade is unlikely due to the Jazz's current place in the loaded Western Conference. Surrendering draft capital and their best player for Garland would not give enough instant improvement to warrant the move. For the Cavaliers, though, this is likely the best result. A total polar opposite, though, could befall the Cavaliers if they fumble every opportunity this summer.