The Cleveland Cavaliers have been advised to not make one particular blockbuster trade this NBA offseason.
After yet another underwhelming playoff exit, the Cleveland Cavaliers are once again being prodded by many to break up their Core Four.
Remember: last year, there were calls for the Cavaliers to split up the Donovan Mitchell-Darius Garland backcourt, and Jarrett Allen was also a regular name in trade speculation.
Well, things are no different this time around, although the focus seems to be more squarely on Garland than anyone else.
The two-time All-Star was instrumental in Cleveland’s 64-win campaign this past season, but his defensive deficiencies, checkered injury history and questionable fit with Mitchell (yes, that is still a thing in the eyes of some) have fans wondering if Garland should be dealt.
However, Ismail Sy of King James Gospel feels that the Cavs should hold onto Garland, warning that trading the 25-year-old would be a massive mistake.
“Hastily moving on from Garland could be a negative turning point for the organization,” Sy wrote. “His expert playmaking and offensive leadership is a crucial element of the Cavs’ offense under coach Kenny Atkinson. … If the Cavs decide to part ways with their All-Star point guard, they open up a huge hole on the roster. Garland’s playmaking and shot creating opens up their entire offense and the team could suffer if he’s moved. The Cleveland Cavaliers have to navigate this market cautiously and cannot risk aggressively shopping their fan-favorite star.”
Garland’s trade value is definitely higher now than it was last summer, as he did not exactly have a strong 2023-24 season. In 75 regular-season games this year, Garland averaged 20.6 points and 6.7 assists over 30.7 minutes per game on 47.2/40.1/87.8 shooting splits.
The problem, though, is that it may be nearly impossible for the Cavaliers to genuinely shuffle their roster (and it seems like they need to) without moving one of their key pieces, and Garland definitely appears to be the most obvious trade candidate of the bench. Well, either him or Allen.
