Since the Cleveland Cavaliers were eliminated from the NBA playoffs, speculation has swirled regarding Darius Garland‘s future with the franchise.
Garland struggled with injury during the postseason. However, the rumors have centered on his fit next to Donovan Mitchell. There have also been concerns over his defense in half-court settings.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who was speaking via ESPN Cleveland, the Cavaliers have not been actively shooping the All-Star guard.
“I do believe that the Cavs are not trying to shop him (Garland) and I do believe when they got some phone calls, they had some conversations,” Windhorst said.
Garland is undoubtedly a tradable asset for Cleveland. Multiple teams would be expected to register their interest if Koby Altman began sounding out potential trade suitors. After all, Garland is young enough to continue improving and has found ways to thrive despite being positioned next to a ball-dominant star such as Mitchell.
Still, Altman is expected to make some changes to the Cavaliers’ roster this summer. The size of those changes will depend on who he’s willing to part with in trade discussions. Therefore, Garland can’t be ruled out as a trade chip, even if Cleveland is yet to officially put him on the market.
Cavaliers Almost Flipped Garland for Kevin Durant
During the same appearance on ESPN Cleveland, Windhorst revealed that the Phoenix Suns were willing to discuss a trade involving Kevin Durant and Garland.
“The Suns, from what I’m told, reached out and had interest in Garland,” Windhorst said. “It was not the Cavs who wanted to trade Garland. The Cavs said the only way they would ever consider this would be if the Suns sent Kevin Durant plus other assets…And the Suns didn’t hang up the phone. I’ll just point out that the Suns own the Cavs’ 2029 first-round pick because they got it from the Jazz last year. And getting back your own picks in the distant future is somewhat attractive.”
Windhorst also noted that Durant had no interest in moving to Cleveland. In the same way, he had no interest in multiple teams. However, his report does illustrate the level of value Garland likely has around the NBA. Whether that inspires Altman to seek other potential deals will remain to be seen.
Cavaliers Most Likely to Trade Isaac Okoro
Dan Favale highlighted Isaac Okoro as the most likely player to be traded by the Cavaliers.
“Isaac Okoro seems like the odd man out. Offloading his $11 million salary into some team’s non-taxpayer mid-level exception would also help slash Cleveland’s tax bill,” Favale wrote for Bleacher Report.
Given all the scuttlebutt surrounding Garland to begin the summer, Okoro is certainly a more logical trade asset. The Cavaliers could flip him to improve around the margins. Cleveland doesn’t need a major facelift. Rather, some small tweaks around the edges to give them some additional depth.
Whatever the Cavaliers do, their focus will be on winning a championship next season. The Eastern Conference is wide open. Both the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers will be missing their best players. Furthermore, the New York Knicks will be acclimating to a new head coach.
So, if the Cavaliers want to make a championship push, next season would be the ideal time to do so.
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