Darius Garland’s Future in Jeopardy With Surprise Trade Idea as Cavs Face Critical $10M Decision

It really was just another one of those seasons for the Cavs. Those calls for a “regular season team” couldn’t be louder. And these playoffs were a stark example of that. Sure, the Pacers’ Cinderella run was a sight to see. But the Cavs had the caliber to brush them aside without breaking a sweat. There’s little one can do when injuries to key players just happen to appear at the same time. One of them being Darius Garland, whose future in Cleveland seems to be in flux.

Apparently, Garland was even offered for Kevin Durant. It’s good that the Rockets came and swooped in for him. After all, the Suns were in no shape to take Garland’s declining form since his jaw broke back in 2023. ESPN confirmed earlier that the guard needs toe surgery, and will miss the start of the season with a 4-5 month spell on the sidelines. But why would they wanna trade their 25-year-old starter, who’s still 20.6 PPG and 6.7 APG this season?

It’s a simple one word answer – money.

The Cavs are just $5 million away from getting underneath the second apron. Garl himself has about three years left on his contract – with next season’s salary a whopping $39 million. It seems pointless to pay that much for someone who’s bound to miss the first couple months of the season. On top of that, Minnesota are just praying for a point-getter to partner Anthony Edwards. Two plus two equals four.

“The Cavs are $5 million into the second apron. So it would benefit them to maybe move out $39 million Garland number and take on something less to get underneath the second apron. But Garland is an awesome, awesome offensive player, very efficient. He has a mid-range game. He could shoot threes and he would be an excellent running mate to take some pressure off Anthony Edwards,” said Phil Mackey on Flagrant Howls.

Cleveland are in desperate need for some changes to make them a championship contender once again. They’re still hanging onto the LeBron James days like their lives depend on it. It’s obvious that no team really wants to be only a regular season demon. But it does seem like Darius Garland isn’t the only one they might be ousting from the roster.

Ty Jerome and Sam Merrill could be out the door with Darius Garland

Ty Jerome averaged over 12 points and shot over 50 percent from the floor and 40 percent from behind the arc last season. The timing to go bonkers couldn’t be better. He’s arguably a Sixth-Man-Of-The-Year contendor. It’s quite obvious how underutilized he is at the Cavs. Luckily, his UFA kicks in this season. So does Sam Merrill’s. Will the Cavs spend a combined $10 million to keep them on the bench for years to come? Not really.

“The Cavs are headed into the second apron starting on June 30th, and I’m not sure they’re gonna be able to re-sign Sam Merrill and Ty Jerome to key backup pieces for them. Ty Jerome was a six-man-of-the-year candidate, so I don’t know where they’re gonna be,” said Brian Windhorst on NBA on ESPN.

The Cavs have a busy off-season ahead. And there’s no denying the pressure will be on them. With the East wide open after Tyrese Haliburton’s injury, there’s no better time to get your groove on. But will that start with Darius Garland’s departure?