Report: Darius Garland could be moved if Donovan Mitchell re-signs

Report: Darius Garland could be moved if Donovan Mitchell re-signs

The Cleveland Cavaliers got bounced Wednesday evening by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

After finishing as the No. 4 seed in the East in the regular season, Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers past the Orlando Magic in seven games in the opening round, the franchise’s first series win without LeBron James since the NBA’s all-time leading scorer entered the league in 2003.

Though there has been plenty of speculation regarding a possible Mitchell trade this upcoming offseason, with him having two years left on his deal, including a $37.1 million player option for 2025-26, per Spotrac.

According to Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, Mitchell remaining with the franchise could come at the expense of 24-year-old guard Darius Garland.

“Should Mitchell decide to stay long term, sources briefed on the matter say Garland’s representation, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, would have a conversation with Cavs officials on potentially finding a new home for the one-time All-Star,” the report read Wednesday evening. “Rival executives believe the Cavs will have to seriously evaluate the fit of Mitchell and Garland and ultimately may have to choose one or the other.”

Mitchell is eligible to sign a four-year, $208.5 million extension on July 6, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks; if he waits until next season to sign the extension, he could earn up to $270 million over the next five years, beginning in 2025-26.

In the two seasons since Mitchell’s arrival, Garland’s numbers have noticeably dipped. The one-time All-Star averaged 21.7 points, 8.6 assists and 1.3 steals with a 27.8 percent usage rate in 2021-22. Over the last two seasons, it’s decreased to 20.0 points, 7.2 assists and 1.3 steals with a 26.2 percent usage rate.

Raw numbers need more contextualization, but Garland’s impact hasn’t been felt as much when he shares the court with Mitchell, a ball-dominant guard who has posted 27.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.6 steals on 47.5/37.8/86.6 shooting splits over the last two seasons.

Garland ran into two unfavorable matchups this postseason against Orlando and Boston. Both teams had enough defensive firepower to keep him out of rhythm, for the most part. Cleveland was also without Mitchell for the final two games against Boston and without Jarrett Allen for the team’s final eight games.

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Should Mitchell re-sign, San Antonio and New Orleans are two immediate destinations that could suit Garland. He will be entering the second year of a five-year, $197 million rookie max extension with a $36.7 million cap hit for the 2024-25 season.

We still don’t know what the five-time All-Star will do given the leverage he possesses. But assuming he stays, would it be worth it to part with Garland or not? That’s the golden question.

Either way, it looks like Cleveland’s young backcourt could be no more, which is an unfortunate end to an otherwise exciting 1-2 punch.

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