Cavaliers Could Trade Darius Garland To Lakers In This Proposal

Could the Cleveland Cavaliers trade Darius Garland to the Los Angeles Lakers for D'Angelo Russell?

Jan 25, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) drives against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the second quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers probably aren't making any major trades this offseason. Unless they can find a taker for Isaac Okoro, the Cavaliers' roster is relatively set.

But could Cleveland decide to make a trade in the middle of the 2024-25 NBA campaign?

One player to monitor is Darius Garland, whose name was thrown around in trade speculation shortly after the Cavs were eliminated from the playoffs this past spring.

Maxwell Ogden of Lake Show Life has offered an interesting proposal: Garland to the Los Angeles Lakers for D'Angelo Russell.

Ogden qualifies his idea by saying that this would not be a straight up trade, but that Russell would be included in the return package from the Lakers.

Considering Kenny Atkinson coached Russell in Brooklyn, one could envision a scenario in which the Cavaliers would express some interest in Russell.

However, Russell is clearly an inferior player to Garland, regardless of how much Garland struggled last season. This is particularly the case on the defensive end, where Russell notoriously labors.

That being said, a potential Garland-for-Russell swap does have some appeal to Cleveland.

It's not just Atkinson's familiarity with Russell. It's also that Russell is entering the final year of his deal. Meanwhile, Garland—who signed an extension with the Cavs in 2022—is under contract through 2028 on an average annual salary around $40 million.

Given that the Cavaliers just signed Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen to long-term deals, clearing Garland's money off the books would make sense.

If Garland struggles yet again this coming season, it would not be surprising if Cleveland begins shopping him around the trade deadline.