The Cavaliers and the Garland uncertainty
In Cleveland everything looks calm on the surface. Too calm, almost. The Cavaliers keep brushing off calls whenever Darius Garland’s name pops up in trade talks. Officially, nothing’s moving. Unofficially, the league is listening, watching, waiting for the smallest crack. And some franchises are already ready to dive in.
Sacramento’s one of them. The Kings have been hunting for months for a real floor general to steady the project. Minnesota too — searching for a point guard who can hold the keys to the truck. Two teams circling. Two teams also aware of a less glamorous truth: it’s going to be tough to put together an offer that actually rattles Cleveland. Between tax constraints and rosters already set, the field of possibilities stays narrow.
Garland, the safest point guard on the market
In NBA circles the same idea keeps popping up. Garland may not be unhappy in Cleveland, but he might want more. More touches, more responsibility, more than sometimes being the third fiddle behind Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley. A perception, not a statement. But it fuels conversation.
For several rival executives, Garland is actually the most reassuring profile among the high-level point guards being talked about for 2025-26. An All-Star, still young, already proven, without the aura of a risky gamble. « C’est l’option la plus sûre pour une équipe qui veut upgrader son poste de meneur », a league source says. Translation: if a door opens, a lot of teams will rush through.
A comeback full of pitfalls
Garland’s season started on crutches. Literally. The 25-year-old had big-toe surgery in the off-season and missed the first seven games before suffering a relapse soon after returning. Five more games shelved, then a tentative comeback — no rhythm, no pop. The shadow of the Garland we knew.
Until a few days ago his game still showed lingering discomfort. Less sure footing, tempered aggression. Then last Saturday, with Donovan Mitchell sidelined, Garland produced the performance everyone wanted. 35 points, 14 makes on 27, eight assists. Despite the loss, the message was clear: the engine’s firing back up.
« Je retrouve la santé », he said after the game. « C’est surtout mental. Se convaincre que je peux refaire ce que je sais faire. Ces derniers matchs, ça revient. Et ce soir, ça s’est vu. »
Positive signs, but no rush
Confirmation two days later against Charlotte. With Mitchell back, Garland was surgical. 27 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, two steals — all in just 30 minutes. The kind of stat line that reminds you why Cleveland isn’t in any hurry to sell him off.
Among local insiders skepticism rules. For Chris Fedor, a trade before the February 5 deadline remains highly unlikely. Cleveland values Garland far more than the rest of the league, and potential offers would probably fail to reflect his true ceiling, especially after a season start disrupted by injury.
In Cleveland they’re playing the clock. Garland is finding his feel again, rumors keep buzzing, and the NBA is watching closely. Nothing’s imminent. But in this league, stillness is often just an illusion.
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