The Cleveland Cavaliers are truly thinking about blowing up the roster that had the second-best record in the NBA and one of three teams to eclipse 60 wins. It shouldn’t be a shock the Cavs are thinking about offloading some players after failing to make the Eastern Conference Finals each of the last two seasons with this core. But is getting rid of Darius Garland the best option right now?
Remember the first two games of the Indiana Pacers series when the Cavs looked lost without Garland on the floor? There’s no way they think jettisoning him is what’s going to take them to the next level. They have an abundance of big men and an overpaid role player in Max Strus. Those two are better options than ditching Garland.
But there have been quite a few rumors circulating about Garland’s availability, hinting the Cavs might be thinking about offloading him. Doing that would set them back further than get them closer to contending in the Eastern Conference. Unless they have plans to immediately replenish Garland with an All-star guard, Cleveland is quickly trying to screw up this offseason.
Darius Garland is far from the Cleveland Cavaliers’ biggest problems in contending in the Eastern Conference
Garland has been the nucleus of this team since he was drafted with the No. 5 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The only argument the Cavs have in trading Garland is his availability. He’s been extremely injured throughout his career, including the postseason this year, and that’s a problem.
Especially when you look at how much the Cavs missed him while he was out. But is he worth giving up on right now? Evan Mobley has proved that he can hold down the interior. Maybe not as a true center, but Mobley and Jarrett Allen together is overload. Long gone are the days of having true centers.
And the return the Cavs could get for Allen from a team like the Lakers that is starving for a big man would be worth exploring before trading Garland. I mentioned this before, but unless Cleveland can get a player like LaMelo Ball or even someone like Jrue Holiday for half the price, it’s not really worth it right now.
Maybe a swap with the Minnesota Timberwolves for Michael Conley, but that’s a stretch too. The biggest thing the Cavs need right now is scoring help for Donovan Mitchell. When Garland was out, Mitchell had to carry this team. The Cavs should be better than that.
Eliminating Garland only makes Mitchell’s job that much harder. Instead, the Cavs should look at what they could get from Strus and Allen and figure out if they can keep this roster competitive while trimming some fat. Garland isn’t fat trimming, that’s getting rid of a prized possession and hoping for the best.