Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland reportedly wasn’t happy with the rumors that suggested he would want to leave the Cavs if they signed guard Donovan Mitchell to an extension this offseason.
“I am not convinced that Darius wants out,” Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor said. “I’m not convinced that Darius is unhappy playing alongside Donovan. In fact, I had a source tell me that Darius was pissed when he read that and that came out because it wasn’t his own feelings.”
Back in May, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that Klutch Sports Group – the agency which represents Garland – would talk to the Cavs about a trade if Mitchell stayed with the franchise.
"It's not because Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell are at each other's throats, it's because they don't fit," – @WindhorstESPN.
Windy confirms that Klutch will talk to the Cavs about a Garland trade if Donovan Mitchell decides to stay. pic.twitter.com/91UunxgXf7
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) May 16, 2024
Mitchell made his decision this week, reportedly agreeing to a three-year extension that keeps him in Cleveland for the foreseeable future. The All-Star guard seems excited to return to the franchise, but it once again raises some questions about the Cavs going forward.
BREAKING: Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell has agreed on a three-year, $150.3 million maximum contract extension that includes a player option for the 2027-2028 season, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/Vu6QXGyK57
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2024
While Garland may be angered by the report that his agency would seek a trade, it is worth noting that agent Rich Paul didn’t offer much when he was asked if Garland would look to be moved.
“There is not much to say,” Paul told Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes back in May. “I think people have their own opinions of what works and what doesn’t work. For me, I think people around the league know, and you definitely know this about me, I’m very matter of fact with my approach on everything. If there was something to be discussed, I would discuss it.
“As of now, there’s nothing to discuss on that. My job is to evaluate every situation for every guy that we as a company represent. I’m a representative of players, and I help advise them on business decisions. It’s a lot more to it than just negotiating a contract after four years. Some guys choose to do that and only focus on that. I’m different. I try to look at everything.
“You try to position guys a certain way to continue to have value. It’s the same way I go about the draft. I think you know that as well. I’m not really focused on certain things in terms of rankings. The league is one that is fluid. It doesn’t stop for nobody. It continues to move on.
“And so these guys have to make sure they understand that having the talent they have, and the production, allows them to maintain value. That value transitions into compensation and when you sum it all up, it’s really just a good ass job and sometimes you have to protect that for as long as you can. That’s where my mindset is for all the guys. No matter if they’re a max player or a minimum guy. My job is to prepare, educate and execute for my clients.”
Ultimately, the decision to request a trade or not should come down to Garland. If the Cavs guard wants to continue playing alongside Mitchell, it’s hard to see the Cavs moving him unless they believe they can upgrade the roster with a trade.
Mitchell and Garland have spent two seasons together, leading the Cavs to the playoffs in each campaign. In the 2023-24 season, the Cavs made the second round of the playoffs against the Boston Celtics, but Mitchell went down with a calf injury and missed the final games of the series.
An All-Star in the 2021-22 season, Garland saw his numbers take a bit of a hit in the 2023-24 campaign. He averaged just 18.0 points (his lowest average over the last three seasons), 2.7 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game while shooting 44.6 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Garland doesn’t have the ball in his hands as much when he plays alongside Mitchell, which could be a reason for his numbers dipping compared to his All-Star season back in the 2021-22 campaign.
The Cavs certainly have a playoff roster right now, but there are questions around the structure of the team, which features two smaller guards (Garland and Mitchell) and two non-shooting big men (Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley) as the core.
It’s possible that the Cavs could look to make a tweak this offseason now that they know Mitchell is under contract for the long haul, but it doesn’t appear like Garland will be a player to ask out at this point in the offseason.
