The Cleveland Cavaliers will need to negotiate with Darius Garland soon -- and he gained a lot of leverage when De'Aaron Fox signed a max extension this week.
From the moment the San Antonio Spurs traded for one-time All-Star point guard De'Aaron Fox, it seemed inevitable that he would be signing a long-term extension with the club. He requested a trade to San Antonio, after all, in order to team up with rising superstar Victor Wembanyama.
What wasn't a given was the value of that deal, and it was officially signed this week: four years, $229 million, according to current salary cap projections. It is a max deal for Fox and will lock him up for the next five seasons.
Another All-Star point guard is eligible to sign a contract extension: Darius Garland. The Cavaliers' star guard had his best season last year, finishing just outside All-NBA voting and playing a key role on a 64-win team. His brand of playmaking, shooting and scoring fit like a glove in head coach Kenny Atkinson's system.
Garland is under contract for another three seasons, but because he has reached the two-year anniversary of signing his current deal, he is eligible to sign an extension and add two more years onto his current deal. That could be worth as much as $125 million over two seasons and lock him up until 2030.
Any hope the Cavaliers had of negotiating on such a deal is probably out the window.
If Fox got paid, Garland will too
It is a fine needle to thread to negotiate contracts with star players. They expect the max that the league's rules allow them to sign for, and it can be insulting to offer less. A team has to essentially say "we believe in you, just not enough to pay you the max." While things between the Cavaliers and Garland are highly unlikely to turn sour, it's a delicate operation.
Darius Garland surely thinks of himself as a max player. He almost certainly also believes he is a better player than De'Aaron Fox - and he is right. He is a better shooter, a better passer and, crucially, a better fit next to other star players. He is also two years younger, a crucial component.
Garland and his representation have every right now to walk up to Koby Altman and tell him "we deserve a max extension" and they should expect the Cavaliers to immediately say yes. Garland is a phenomenal offensive player and is just as good, if not better, than other players signing max deals.
There is risk, not just with Garland's injury history but also the long-term cost of keeping this team together. Signing Garland to an extension now also has an impact on any potential midseason trades. These are all factors the front office has to weigh before offering a deal.
If Garland is ready to sign, however, the Cavaliers will have to offer the extension. They lost any leverage they had when De'Aaron Fox secured the bag.