Cavaliers Star Darius Garland Reportedly Annoyed By Trade Rumors

Darius Garland is apparently not too happy about the rumor he wanted out of Cleveland.

Apr 25, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) brings the ball up court during the first quarter of game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

When the Cleveland Cavaliers signed Donovan Mitchell to a three-year contract extension, some were wondering when the other domino would fall. That domino is Darius Garland.

There had been rumblings that Garland's agency, Klutch Sports, would want a trade for the star guard if Mitchell inked a long-term deal.

Well, evidently, Garland is none too pleased that that rumor leaked, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

“I am not convinced that Darius wants out,” Fedor said on the Wine and Gold Talk podcast. “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.”

Now we know that Garland is apparently perfectly content remaining teammates with Mitchell.

Of course, the question may not necessarily be whether or not Garland would be alright sticking with the Cavaliers. A better question may be if Cleveland actually wants to keep Garland.

The Cavs are in an awkward position at the moment. They don't have a whole lot of money to spend on free agents, and if they want to make any significant changes to their roster, it would probably require trading one of their core four.

Mitchell and new head coach Kenny Atkinson both love Jarrett Allen, so he is likely staying put. The Cavaliers are also very enamored with Evan Mobley and have high hopes for him, so barring a drastic turn of events, he isn't going anywhere. We know that Cleveland isn't trading Mitchell.

So, by process of elimination, that leaves one potential trade candidate: Garland.

The problem is that Garland's trade value is apparently very low right now, so it isn't really the best time to move him.

The Cavs may end up having to stick with their current group for now and hope that Mobley and Garland take big steps forward next season. Perhaps rookie wing Jaylon Tyson can be a key contributor, as well.