Maybe the Cleveland Cavaliers should have traded Darius Garland.
We are now about a quarter of the way through the 2025-26 NBA campaign, and the Cleveland Cavaliers certainly don't look as good as they did a year ago.
The Cavaliers are just 12-7 following a tough loss to the Toronto Raptors on Monday, and a big reason for Cleveland's up and down start has been the health of Darius Garland.
Garland underwent toe surgery for an injury he suffered during the playoffs last spring. He missed the first seven games of the season, returned on Nov. 5, played three contests and then re-aggravated the injury, causing him to miss five straight games and six of his last seven.
When Garland has been on the floor, he has looked very uncomfortable, averaging 13.4 points per game on 34.5 percent shooting. Clearly, he is not 100 percent, and given his rather extensive injury history, it begs the question: should the Cavs have traded Garland when they had the chance?
Two summers ago, Garland was widely viewed as a trade candidate following a playoff flameout. The Cavaliers decided to hold on to the former No. 5 overall pick, doubling down on their Core Four that also included Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
It certainly paid off during the regular season last year, as Cleveland won 64 games and finished with the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but the Cavs once again disappointed in the playoffs, losing to the Indiana Pacers in a five-game second-round series.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland. Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images.Garland played just three games in the Cavaliers' Round 2 loss due to the toe issue, but you can't really blame Cleveland's playoff meltdown on Garland's injury.
We also have to remember that Garland's defensive shortcomings have largely been cited as a problem for the Cavs for quite some time now, which is one of the reasons why some have been campaigning for the Cavaliers to move him.
To be fair, Garland's trade value was rather low during the summer of 2024, but Cleveland may have been able to get something for him this past offseason, even in the midst of Garland's recovery from surgery.
The Cavs are relying an awful lot upon Garland's return to full health this season, even though the 25-year-old has played 70 games just once in his seven-year career.
Things are clearly a bit funky for the Cavaliers this season. Mobley looks out of sorts, offseason additions Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance Jr. have been brutal offensively and Cleveland is shooting just 34.8 percent from downtown as a team.
But maybe if the Cavs would have moved Garland for another piece over the summer, they would have had a more balanced roster overall.
The Cavaliers have been unable to get over the hump throughout the entire Mitchell era, which is enough evidence that significant changes may need to be made.
Was trading Garland the solution? We can't say for sure, but you do have to wonder if Cleveland is running out of patience with the Vanderbilt product.