For years, the Cleveland Cavaliers' front office insisted on their commitment to their core four. Despite multiple heartbreaking and disappointing postseason performances, Koby Altman was adamant about making moves.
That's why, despite all the rumblings and rumors surrounding Darius Garland, an actual trade always seemed far-fetched. He was a homegrown talent, a fan favorite, and a two-time All-Star just entering his prime.
Considering that, most fans were caught off guard when the team sent him packing to get James Harden. Notably, that wasn't the case with his agent, Rich Paul, who revealed on his "Game Over" podcast with Max Kellerman that he predicted this trade before the start of the season.
Rich Paul predicted the Darius Garland trade before the start of the season
"In the upcoming [2025-26] season, I sat Darius down and explained to him that this was going to be his last year with the Cavs," Paul said. "...I told him that’s just the way it was going to be, for a number of reasons that take too long to get into, but that was my foresight."
Paul, the most powerful agent in the NBA, said he also reached out to Koby Altman to discuss potential scenarios and how things may go down between the organization and his client. So, even though he wasn't behind the move, it didn't catch him by surprise in the slightest.
Even so, that doesn't mean that Garland wanted to be traded. If anything, he may not have even believed what Paul told him before the start of the season, given that the front office kept reaffirming their commitment to him.
Still, this is a business first and foremost, and it can get pretty cruel at times. The Cavs probably wouldn't have traded him for a player who wasn't of James Harden's caliber, but the fact that they moved him for a player 10 years older still raises major doubts about his long-term health.
Maybe his lower-body injuries were more serious or more chronic than they initially though. Maybe they just wanted to get out of his contract so they could have more financial flexibility in the future.
Whatever the case, this trade may have looked like it came out of left field, but nothing happens in the league without the CEO of Klutch Sports having his surveilling eye noticing it. He's never wrong, just early. Now, Garland knows as much.