{"id":84443,"date":"2025-06-08T08:22:13","date_gmt":"2025-06-08T08:22:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/84443\/"},"modified":"2025-06-08T08:22:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-08T08:22:13","slug":"the-cavaliers-are-taking-calls-for-their-2025-all-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/84443\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cavaliers Are Taking Calls For Their 2025 All-Star"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>CLEVELAND \u2013 The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/cavaliers\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a> face a crossroads this offseason. They boast a 64-win roster. Yet they bowed out early again. Now they ponder bigger changes. The buzz centers on their All-Star guard, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/garlada01.html\" target=\"_blank\">Darius Garland.<\/a> <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBATradeReport\/status\/1931378726190616644?t=hRfPPBtLwM6f5p8fF7a31A&amp;s=19\">According<\/a> to the NBA insider account on X, NBA Trade Report, the Cavaliers are taking trade calls for Garland.<\/p>\n<p>The Cavaliers Are Taking Trade Calls For Their 2025 All-Star, Darius Garland<br \/>\nRumors Swirl in Cleveland<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-143878\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/USATSI_26169343_168415934_lowres-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"The Cavaliers are taking trade calls for Darius Garland \" width=\"640\" height=\"427\"  \/>May 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) hugs guard Donovan Mitchell (45) after game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<p>On ESPN Cleveland, Brian Windhorst dropped a bomb. He said the Cavs \u201cmight\u201d move Garland. He added that Cleveland remains open.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Garland averaged 20.6 points and 6.7 assists. He also grabbed 2.9 rebounds per game. He led them to the East\u2019s top seed. Yet the playoffs exposed vulnerabilities. A sprained toe sidelined him in the postseason. The Cavs lost two crucial games without him.<\/p>\n<p>Playoff Performance and What It Revealed<\/p>\n<p>In the first round, Cleveland beat <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/heat\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Miami<\/a>. Then <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/pacers\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Indiana<\/a> ended their run in five games. Without Garland, the offense sputtered. Coach Kenny Atkinson lost his top playmaker. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/mitchdo01.html\" target=\"_blank\">Donovan Mitchell<\/a> carried the load admirably. But Mitchell needed shots from beyond the arc. The team missed Garland\u2019s ballhandling skills.<\/p>\n<p>During Game 4 vs. the Pacers, the Cavs fell hard. Analysts pointed to bench weaknesses. They noted defensive lapses. They warned about the salary cap. Failing to protect their rookie coach\u2019s work hurt the franchise\u2019s hopes.<\/p>\n<p>Why the Cavs Might Listen<\/p>\n<p>The front office crunched the numbers. They saw a $218 million payroll staring back. The Cavs sensed the second tax apron looming. They questioned long-term sustainability. Now the team surveys options. Trade calls involving Darius Garland is more than talk. It\u2019s a pragmatic step.<\/p>\n<p>Garland carries a max deal. So does Mitchell. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/mobleev01.html\" target=\"_blank\">Evan Mobley\u2019s<\/a> salary will jump next season. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/allenja01.html\" target=\"_blank\">Jarrett Allen<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/huntede01.html\" target=\"_blank\">De\u2019Andre Hunter<\/a> fill out expensive contracts.<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jeromty01.html\" target=\"_blank\"> Ty Jerome<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/merrisa01.html\" target=\"_blank\">Sam Merrill<\/a> may leave. Still, the cap stress remains.<\/p>\n<p>Potential Trade Fits<\/p>\n<p>Teams crave playmakers. Garland fits that bill perfectly. His absence reshaped Cleveland\u2019s offense. A move could bring back a defensive stopper. Or a future draft pick package. His value shows in how the Cavs are already taking trade calls for Garland. Contenders seek shot-creators for deep playoff runs.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/magic\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Orlando<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/rockets\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Houston<\/a> need backcourt upgrades. They could offer role players plus picks. Cleveland could pivot to a fresh identity.<\/p>\n<p>Risks and Rewards<\/p>\n<p>Trading Garland brings risks. The offense would shift heavily onto Mitchell. He\u2019s dealt with injuries before. Losing Garland\u2019s 20-point scoring average hurts. Losing his 6.7 assists per game stings. Yet a package haul could reset Cleveland\u2019s timeline.<\/p>\n<p>Cleveland has missed the Conference Finals since 2019. They\u2019ve exited in earlier rounds three years straight. At some point, repeating the same core grows stale. That\u2019s why trade calls for Darius Garland are gaining momentum.<\/p>\n<p>What Fans Should Expect<\/p>\n<p>Expect trade chatter to ramp up. Rumors will dominate summer headlines. Atkinson\u2019s staff will evaluate suitors. Front office meetings will grow tense. Fans will debate on social media. They\u2019ll wonder if Garland\u2019s departure spells doom or renewal.<\/p>\n<p>Cleveland might accept a lateral swap. Or go for a clear upgrade. But they won\u2019t stand pat. This team craves another Finals run. They know they must adapt.<\/p>\n<p>Looking Ahead<\/p>\n<p>The 2025\u201326 season could look very different. Mitchell remains untouchable. Mobley also seems off-limits, barring a blockbuster. That leaves Garland as the most movable star. The Cavs have time to finalize plans. They have cap space headaches to solve first.<\/p>\n<p>One thing\u2019s clear: the Cavaliers will take calls for Darius Garland all summer. Their loyalty to Garland matters less than their title aspirations. They can\u2019t let financial rules box them in. They must choose between holding on or hitting reset.<\/p>\n<p>Whatever Cleveland decides, the decision will shape their next championship chase. Fans will watch every move. The Cavaliers know one truth: in today\u2019s NBA, bold moves breed big rewards.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Credit: \u00a9 Nate Ulrich \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CLEVELAND \u2013 The Cleveland Cavaliers face a crossroads this offseason. They boast a 64-win roster. Yet they bowed&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":84444,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3772],"tags":[3189,1431,7,2949,306,305,193,3846,791,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-84443","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cleveland-cavaliers","8":"tag-2025-free-agency","9":"tag-2025-nba-playoffs","10":"tag-basketball","11":"tag-brian-windhorst","12":"tag-cavaliers","13":"tag-cleveland","14":"tag-cleveland-cavaliers","15":"tag-clevelandcavaliers","16":"tag-darius-garland","17":"tag-nba"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/114646780711315453","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84443"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84443\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}