There's no way around it - Darius Garland has had a perplexing fifth season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Questions swirl around the Cavaliers' backcourt regarding the long-term fit between Garland and Donovan Mitchell. Those questions and concerns have existed since the pair first joined forces, often being compared to the problems witnessed with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum in Portland as an undersized backcourt with little defensive prowess.
Since becoming teammates, the two guards have shined individually, but this season Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff has intentionally staggered their minutes and has avoided playing them together as much as seemingly possible. A portion of this derives from Garland's earlier jaw injury that sidelined him for over a month, since Mitchell had found his groove as the sole ballhandler over that stretch. Still, when a team's best players are better playing without each other, dissenters and local fans will have lingering thoughts if a split is inevitable.
Surprising fan trade brings new perspective to Cavaliers backcourt duo
After a failed first postseason together and a late-season slump with Garland at the helm without Mitchell around, the discussion around an early divorce in Cleveland's backcourt has reappeared. This time, fans and rival fanbases are not targeting drawing Spida off the Cavs. Instead, Garland's name is headlining the deal, and a new mock proposal sending DG south is making rounds online.
Although the trade deadline has passed this season, fans are already looking to offseason moves for their favorite (or least favorite) teams. Taking a look at this trade, it might seem crazy at first, but it raises worthwhile questions regarding Darius Garland and his Cavs future.
What's the deal?
Garland has become a staple in Cleveland basketball after his breakout third season in which he earned his only All-Star nod thus far in his career. Following Garland's arrival into stardom and Evan Mobley's monstrous rookie season, the Cavaliers pivoted from a rebuild into a race toward contention by trading for superstar guard Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz in September 2022.
This Fanspo deal suggests a pivot for the Cavaliers, not away from contending, but away from their current model for contention.
In short, the deal swaps Garland for a young yet proven wing talent in Keldon Johnson, adding Zach Collins for salary matching and a single first-round pick to sweeten the pot. The San Antonio Spurs add a dynamic pass-first point guard alongside Victor Wembanyama after months of rumors circulating regarding the Spurs' interest in Atlanta's Trae Young. If San Antonio misses on Young, pivoting to Garland might bring in an even better partner for Wemby, considering Garland's willingness to hand the spotlight over to somebody else in order to win.
What is the ultimate point of this trade for either side, though? For the Spurs, they take a significant but calculated step toward winning sooner rather than later. With a generational talent such as the French dynamo, San Antonio has plenty of reasons to find a way to accelerate toward winning. Garland is still young but has already displayed talent worthy of a max contract. If San Antonio wants to prove to Victor they are ready to win, this is the perfect deal to send that message.
On the Cavaliers' side, they bring in an efficient scoring wing on a team-friendly deal and add a high lottery pick for this year's draft. They also get Collins, which may make the locker room tense after the on-court dramatics between Collns and the Cavs earlier this season. In theory, Johnson adds to Cleveland's wing depth and improves their size in the backcourt, assuming one of either Johnson or Max Strus start alongside Mitchell.
Does this deal make the Cavaliers any better?
Do the Cavaliers say yes?
In raw box score averages, Garland and Johnson are not far removed from one another. Garland's averages are slightly higher than Johnson, but Garland's role is also significantly larger on the Cavs than Johnson's role on the Spurs. Undoubtedly, Garland is the better passer, but Johnson is a substantially better rebounder and defender.
Considering Garland's impact on the modern era of the Cavaliers and his past All-Star appearance, Cleveland likely says no, at least initially. While the Cavs are not likely to shop Garland on the market this summer without a drastic shift happening, another postseason disappearance from Garland might make the Cavaliers willing to hear offers before waving them off.
Right now, though, Garland's slump is no reason for the Cavaliers to draw up an exit strategy ready to go in July. Garland and Mitchell can complement each other in the right offense. This season, injuries have derailed every opportunity imaginable for the Cavs to find the perfect formula. The playoffs will be the testing grounds for the pairing once again. With much-improved depth around them, the Cavs are entering the playoffs with plenty to prove. A strong playoff run would secure the future for both guards.
There is, however, a world where things look different in Cleveland in a few months.
The uncomfortable "What If" with Darius Garland and Clevland
Every offseason move the Cavaliers have made since acquiring Donovan Mitchell has been done in hopes of reaching a contract extension before he hits free agency eventually. Thus far, Mitchell has been nothing but supportive of Garland, even calling out recent criticisms amid the Cavs' slide and coming to Garland's defense. If the coming playoffs prove the pairing just cannot win at the highest level together, that mood might shift.
If the Cavaliers are in position to choose between Mitchell and Garland this summer, it is hard to argue the Cavs should move on from a bonafide All-NBA talent in Mitchell in favor of what Garland might become. As heartbreaking as it is, Garland may end up the odd man out in Cleveland if they need a major shakeup around Mitchell. Jarrett Allen is fundamental to every facet of the team and is the best runningmate for Mitchell right now. Though Evan Mobley is also in a down year, there is no reason to give up on a potential era-defining big man after his third year.
Cleveland basketball has built themselves on staying loyal to their players. The franchise welcomed LeBron James back with open arms and immediately built a contender perfectly suited to his style. The Cavs paid Kevin Love a massive long-term deal out of gratitude for his service in the championship run and beyond, only ending the relationship when Love was ready to leave. While Kyrie Irving's departure was a bit more strenuous, Cleveland has never shunned or diminished Kyrie's run with the team.
Still, if the Cavs cannot win in the playoffs after mortgaging their future draft options until next decade for Mitchell, there is no room to make the mistake of staying too loyal. If the Cavaliers realize a need to put another proven star player next to Mitchell and let him take over as the point guard, this summer may be the season to do it.
Given Darius Garland's hefty $36.7 million salary next season, the Cavaliers would have a hard time selling high on him after this down year. Keldon Johnson is far from the perfect fit with Mitchell while Garland might be the best possible point guard for the Wemby era in San Antonio. This trade is in no way perfect, but the Cavaliers could not laugh off this option if they fall short when it matters again.
Thankfully, this also means that all of this can be nothing but forgettable conjecture with an Eastern Conference Finals appearance or convincing effort in the second round. If Mitchell signs a new deal wih Cleveland this summer and is happy with the current roster construction, then all the worries with Darius Garland will happily fall to the wayside.
Until then, this trade forces fans to take a hard look at what is the best path forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
This trade receives a C for the uncertainty of Garland's value this summer, Johnson's overall impact with Cleveland, including Zach Collins of all players and simply considering the sad possibility of Garland being traded. Still, this sort of return may be in the ball park if Cleveland is in the position to hear teams out. It is just too early to tell.