Darius Garland‘s future with the Cleveland Cavaliers is becoming a hot topic this summer. The two-time All-Star struggled during the playoffs and is now finding his name floated in trade rumors.
On Thursday, June 5, Brian Windhorst told ESPN radio that he believes the Cavaliers will be “open-minded” regarding the guard’s future.
“The message was very hard out there. Koby [Altman] was on the record, I’m pretty sure, saying, ‘We’re not trading Darius Garland,'” Windhorst said. “A year later, I think there’s some belief that Darius Garland might be available under the right circumstances…I don’t think Darius Garland wants to go anywhere. I think Darius Garland is very happy with how things have developed in Cleveland, and he really likes it. He likes the role that he’s got. But I think the Cavs are listening and are open-minded without actively trying to think they need to change their roster.”
“I think there’s some belief that Darius Garland might be available under the right circumstances… I think the Cavs are listening and open minded,” – @WindhorstESPN.
Would you be open to the Cavs trading Darius Garland?
Garland’s defensive limitations are a concern for a Cavaliers team that is aiming to win a championship. His partnership with Donovan Mitchell means Kenny Atkinson is relying on two small guards who both excel on the offensive end. Swapping out Garland for a more defensive-minded player could make sense for the Cavaliers moving forward.
Cavaliers Should Consider Making a Trade
In a recent episode of the “Wine and Gold Talk” podcast, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com discussed the merits of the Cavaliers potentially trading Garland or even Jarrett Allen.
“There’s a real possibility that you could convince yourself that you could become a better basketball team without Jarrett Allen,” Fedor said. “There’s a real possibility that you could convince yourself, based on the offers that you’re getting or the packages that you believe are available to you, that you could become a better basketball team without Darius. That’s not overreacting.”
Both Garland and Allen are key parts of Atkinson’s rotation. However, each player has their own limitations, especially in terms of postseason basketball. Therefore, Cleveland must make some choices this summer. After all, the goal is winning a championship, which means there’s little room for sentiment.
Cavaliers Roster Must Show More Grit
Kenyon Martin blasted the number of Cavaliers players who sat out playoff games due to injury during a recent appearance on the “Gil’s Arena” podcast.
“You don’t suit up, bro, give me something? We’re already down Darius Garland, we know he ain’t healthy,” Martin said. “We know this going into it, he missed Game 1. So him playing in Game 2 is slim and none. We’ve got to this point, De’Andre Hunter, when you came in, we started playing better. Evan Mobley, we rely on you nightly. It ain’t just your points; it’s your defensive presence, it’s you being out there, it’s something that we could use. When they didn’t play in Game 2, I’m like, ‘Oh man, they ain’t going to beat nobody, ain’t got no heart.”
Cleveland has a young roster. It takes time for a team to learn what it takes to become a champion. Right now, the Cavaliers are one or two pieces away from being a top threat in the NBA.
Koby Altman will undoubtedly want to take that step this summer. As such, we should expect some changes in the coming months. What those changes will be, though, remains to be seen.
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Cavaliers Could be ‘Open-Minded’ on Darius Garland Trade Talks