Their success was mostly due to their stacked roster, headlined by Donovan Mitchell<\/a>. He was supported by Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley<\/a>, Jarrett Allen<\/a>, and Darius Garland<\/a>. Unfortunately, they fell apart in the 2025 Playoffs due to injuries, losing to the Indiana Pacers<\/a>.<\/p>\n Now, exiting the postseason was a big blow to the Cavaliers\u2019 \u201cperfect\u201d season<\/a>. Most people expected them to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, but injuries impacted their play<\/a>. This has led them to consider options, including a potential Garland trade.<\/p>\n The Cavaliers want to compete against the best teams in the league. To do that, they must have the most optimal roster possible. Since Mitchell is the team\u2019s superstar, that might make Garland available in the trade market. This is a player breakup that former NBA champion Vernon Maxwell supports<\/a>, as he detailed in May.<\/p>\n ESPN\u2019s Brian Windhorst<\/a> has heard that the Cavaliers are open to trading Garland. That is surprising, as he has been one of the franchise\u2019s best players in recent years. He has proven himself to be one of the league\u2019s better point guards, as seen in his All-Star nod.<\/p>\n \u201cThe interesting thing about the Cavs is that over a year ago, there was some belief that Garland may want to get traded. That was definitely out there that if Donovan didn\u2019t extend his contract,\u201d Windhorst said on ESPN Cleveland<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cKoby was on the record saying, \u2018We\u2019re not trading Darius Garland.\u2019 A year later, I think there\u2019s some belief that Darius Garland might be available under the right circumstances. I don\u2019t think Darius Garland does not want to go anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s really happy how things have developed in Cleveland. He really likes the role he has. I think the Cavs are listening and open-minded without actively thinking about changing their roster.\u201d<\/p>\n The reasoning behind a potential Garland trade<\/p>\n Unfortunately, Garland is good enough to be a valuable trade piece, but not enough to compete against other elite guards. Jalen Brunson<\/a>, Cade Cunningham<\/a>, and Tyrese Haliburton<\/a> are the top point guards in the East. Garland is below them, competing against other star guards like Trae Young<\/a> and LaMelo Ball<\/a>.<\/p>\n Top 5 Point Guards in Eastern Conference <\/p>\n 1. Tyrese Haliburton Thoughts? pic.twitter.com\/kEhvwAQHxg<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Darius](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-2214295298-941x627.jpg\")
Photo by Justin Casterline\/Getty ImagesBrian Windhorst alludes to the Cavs possibly trading Garland<\/p>\n
2. Cade Cunningham
3. Jalen Brunson
4. Darius Garland
5. Trae Young<\/p>\n