2. Darius Garland…on a new team?!
When the Cavs signed Darius Garland to a max contract extension after his first All-Star campaign in 2022, it looked like Garland would be a Cav for life. Fast forward to 2024 and that may not be the case anymore.
When Cleveland acquired Donovan Mitchell, the question became could he and Garland fit together given the fact they were two ball-dominant guards. Garland’s numbers last season stayed around the same as his All-Star year, only his assists went down slightly and his three-point percentage went up.
However, year two of the pairing was rocky due to Garland’s play dropping across the board. He averaged his lowest points per game, assists, and field goal percentage since his second year in the NBA. It was not to the fault of Garland though, as he missed two months due to a jaw injury and it cost him a significant amount of weight that he never gained back. As a result, his future is now up in the air according to The Athletic.
"“Should Mitchell decide to stay long term, sources briefed on the matter say Garland’s representation, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, would have a conversation with Cavs officials on potentially finding a new home for the one-time All-Star”."The Athletic
The key detail of this is if Mitchell ends up extending his contract, so that has to be kept in mind. Nonetheless, this was a tough bit of news for Cavs fans who have grown to love Garland.
Garland should be given a full offseason to regain his confidence and weight. The injury-riddled season has affected him more than people realize. Remember when he and Mitchell had a +8.0 net rating last season? Even in the down year, the pairing had a +4.4. The fit is there and given the right pieces, it can flourish further.
Additionally, Garland and Mitchell have seemed to develop a bond on and off the court and keeping the pair intact could go a long way in convincing Mitchell to stay, which leads to the final part of the report.