Cleveland Cavaliers Star Darius Garland Gets Honest About Trade Rumors

Amid many trade rumors, Cleveland Cavaliers star Darius Garland has spoken out about them.

Apr 30, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) argues a call during the first half against the Orlando Magic in game five of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers have had a relatively quiet NBA offseason so far. Obviously, the big move that has been made was locking superstar guard Donovan Mitchell up to a long-term extension.

Coming into the offseason, there were many trade rumors swirling around the Cavaliers. Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen were at the center of many of those rumors.

It has been reported that Cleveland does not want to trade away any of their core players. They have held firm to that so far. Over the last couple of weeks, the trade rumors have died down dramatically.

In a recent quote shared by Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, Garland briefly spoke out about all the trade rumors he has heard connected to his name.

“I don’t want to be traded. Those are just rumors.”

Darius Garland shuts down trade rumors:

“I don’t want to be traded. Those are just rumors.”

(via @ChrisFedor) pic.twitter.com/naep3jM4to

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 15, 2024

At 24 years old, Garland still has a lot of untapped potential. He's more than capable of taking his game to another level.

That is one of the biggest reasons that the Cavaliers have refrained from trading anyone. They believe that their biggest improvements will come from within.

Between Garland and Evan Mobley, the young talent in Cleveland is elite.

During the 2023-24 NBA season with the Cavaliers, Garland ended up playing in 57 games. He averaged 18.0 points per game to go along with 6.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals. In addition to those averages, he shot 44.6 percent from the floor and knocked down 37.1 percent of his three-point attempts.

While fans may have been hoping for some major roster additions this offseason, Cleveland is opting for continuity. The front office clearly feels like they have the talent to win without major moves.

All of that being said, it will be interesting to see how Garland plays this season. He is facing a lot of pressure to take the next step in his development. The Cavaliers need him to become an even more lethal scorer and take pressure off of Mitchell.

Now, it's time for him to prove Cleveland right for their faith in his ability.