Report: Darius Garland linked as people wonder ‘what happens next’ for Cavs

The Cleveland Cavaliers are off to a slow start in the 2025-26 season, as they currently hold the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland is coming off a tough loss to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday where the locker room reportedly was “somber.”

It’s unclear if the Cavs would be willing to make a major move this season, but as people around the NBA start to wonder “what happens next in Cleveland,” the player who reportedly comes up most often is guard Darius Garland. Some around the league seem to think that he could be a trade candidate if the team comes up short again this season.

“People around the NBA are starting to wonder what happens next in Cleveland,” Hoops Wire’s Sam Amico wrote. “Scouts talk. Executives talk. And more than a few believe president of basketball operations Koby Altman may eventually have to consider a real roster shakeup if the Cavaliers come up short again this spring.

“Fair or not, the name that comes up most often is Darius Garland.”

Garland has been limited to just nine games in the 2025-26 season due to a nagging toe injury. If the Cavs look to move on from one of the players in their “core four” that also includes Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, it’s possible that Garland could be their first choice.

“The core of Garland, Mitchell, Mobley and Jarrett Allen has yet to push past the second round,” Amico wrote. “Garland is still working his way back after offseason toe surgery, and people around the league see him as the swing piece if Altman ever decides a reset is needed.

“There is still time, and the Cavs believe in what they have. But in this league, the outside noise only quiets down when the wins start stacking again.”

The Cavs are just 14-11 in the 2025-26 season, a huge difference from the 2024-25 campaign when they only lost 18 of their 82 games and held records like 15-0 and 33-4 at certain points.

While Garland is an All-Star and a solid piece next to Mitchell in the team’s backcourt, he could help the Cavs fetch a different player to complement the rest of the core and potentially get them over the hump in the Eastern Conference.

This season, Garland is averaging just 14.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 35.3 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from beyond the arc. In his limited appearances for the Cavs, they are just 4-5 when he’s in action.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Cavs proceed in the 2025-26 season, especially since they entered the campaign with title expectations. Cleveland will aim to get back in the win column in its next game, which is against the Washington Wizards on Friday, Dec. 12.