It’s been months since Cleveland Cavaliers floor general Darius Garland underwent surgery on a big toe injury, as that was all the way back in June. Yet, Garland could potentially miss a significant number of games to begin the 2025-26 season.
Cleveland.com’s Terry Pluto claimed he heard from a source that Garland may very well sit out for anywhere between 10 and 20 contests. If he were to sit out closer to 20 contests, he would be sidelined for approximately the first month or so of the season.
“It was a significant toe surgery, much like turf toe,” Pluto wrote. “The Cavs aren’t saying, other than he’s likely to miss some games early in the season. I heard 10 to 20, but that sounded more like a guess from the source that I checked with.”
It’s very possible that Garland’s toe injury negatively impacted his play on the offensive side of the ball in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. His effectiveness as a scorer wasn’t nearly at the level it needed to be for Cleveland to get over the championship hump, as he converted just 42.0 percent of his shots from the field and 28.6 percent of his 3s across five games.
Garland didn’t amend his struggles scoring the ball efficiently by being a great playmaker, either. After all, he almost led the Cavaliers in total turnovers (with 15) in the playoffs despite the fact that guard Donovan Mitchell and center Jarrett Allen (17 giveaways each to lead the team) both played in nine games compared to Garland’s five.
As unfortunate as it is that Garland will probably be out for a little while to begin the new season, it was probably the right move for the sake of his sustained success that he got surgery with how he fared in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Garland’s short-term absence could prove to be a blessing in disguise for Cleveland as well, as maybe someone will take advantage of having a larger role in his absence. Point guard Lonzo Ball, forward De’Andre Hunter, guard Sam Merrill and guard Jaylon Tyson are just a few real candidates to fill in for Garland in the opening lineup with the start of the campaign looming.
With any luck, Garland will look more like the player who starred as a scorer and facilitator and was named an All-Star last season when he makes his return to the lineup. Cleveland needs that version of him to win its first title since 2016 in 2026.
