CLEVELAND, Ohio — I’ve been hearing from fans about the Cavs trading Darius Garland. There also is a lot of media speculation about that happening.
Maybe the Cavs do make a deal, but it won’t be easy.
The Cavs are in the dreaded second apron of the salary cap. They also have the NBA’s highest payroll.
Why dreaded? Because it imposes harsh limitations on making trades.
One & only one
If the Cavs plan to trade Garland and his $39.4 million salary, only Garland can be involved in the trade.
In the middle of last season, the Cavs traded Caris LeVert ($16.6 million) and Georges Niang ($8.5 million) to Atlanta for De’Andre Hunter ($21.6 million).
The Cavs weren’t on any aprons back then. Atlanta had some salary cap room to make the deal work.
This time, no deal like that. If the Cavs make any trades, they can only trade one player at a time.
If they plan to trade Garland … then Garland is all they can trade. No other players to make it work. Also, no cash added to the deal by Cleveland.
The market for Garland
Garland’s foot surgery (turf toe) and his slow start this season has to be a concern. He’s had a few decent games, but hasn’t appear to be close to 100% physically – until Friday night when he scored 35 points.
Garland is averaging 16.9 points. He’s shooting 38% from the field, 32% on 3-pointers.
Compare that to his 20.6 points of 2024-25 when he shot 47% from the field and 40% on 3-pointers and made his second All-Star team.
The point guard is only 25. This is his seventh season.
The only other time he struggled like this was his rookie year. He battled knee and other injuries, averaging 12.3 points and shooting 40%.
If the Cavs decide to trade Garland now, they would be doing it when his value is probably the lowest of his career. What team would be enamored with Garland right now?
That’s especially true when you consider his lucrative maximum contract:
$39.4 million in 2025-26.
$42.1 million in 2026-27.
$44.8 million in 2027-28.
Darius Garland has missed 16 of the Cavs first 28 games this season as he recovers from turf toe surgery.John Kuntz, cleveland.comLooking deeper at Garland
Suppose you were another team considering Garland. Some factors to consider:
How long will it take for Garland to fully recover from the toe surgery? His quickness doesn’t match his pre-surgery standard. Garland is a finesse player who needs the ability to change directions on the dribble and drive to the basket. Garland has never been a good defender. Since the injury, he is mediocre at best.At 6-foot-1 and listed at 192 pounds, Garland looks lighter on the court and can be overwhelmed physically by bigger defenders.What has made Garland an All-Star in the past was his superb ball-handing and speed along with excellent shooting. When healthy, he not only can score from 3-point range, but also has a variety of “floaters” to score while close to the basket.A healthy Garland has the ability to score 20 points a game and set up teammates with his superb passing. His talent on offense can make up for his deficiency on defense – when healthy.Garland has a massive contract. The team that trades for him has to look at it as a deal for the next few seasons. It’s doubtful he’ll return to All-Star form this season. Tough spot for Cavs
The Cavs can take several players in return for Garland, as long as they don’t exceed Garland’s $39.4 million salary.
One of the trades talked about dating back to last summer was Orlando dealing Jalen Suggs to Cleveland for Garland. I like Suggs for his toughness and defense. Orlando would have to add someone such as Tristan da Silva in the deal.
Suggs is out with a hip contusion. He’s even had more injuries than Garland. Da Silva is a nice 6-8 forward, a 9.7 point scorer in his second pro season. Orlando may not want to make this trade.
Suggs signed a five-year, $150 million contract prior to this season. He has missed an average of 30 games per season in the first four years of his pro career.
If the Cavs believe Garland will come back close to his All-Star form, this is the worst time to trade him.
Perhaps Garland is coming around. He had 35 points, shooting 13 for 27 ( 6 for 12 on 3-pointers) in Friday’s loss to Chicago. That’s why the Cavs have to be careful in terms of trading Garland just to trade him – and not receiving real value in return.