Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland has been the subject of trade speculation ever since the Cavaliers were eliminated from the playoffs last month.
Now that we are officially in the NBA offseason, you can expect the chatter surrounding Garland to grow, especially if Cleveland extends Donovan Mitchell.
Some feel that the Cavs may look to move Garland if they re-up with Mitchell this summer, and ESPN’s Kevin Pelton has proposed a rather interesting trade idea.
Pelton has the Cavaliers sending Garland and Georges Niang to the Brooklyn Nets for Cameron Johnson, Dennis Schroder and a couple of first-round draft picks—a 2025 first-rounder (the lesser of the pick swap between the Nets and the Houston Rockets or the Phoenix Suns selection) and another first-rounder down the line in 2029.
Pelton’s reasoning behind the trade is to provide Cleveland with some more size and floor spacing. Plus, it would open up some more financial flexibility for the Cavs, as Johnson is certainly a cheaper commodity than Garland.
The Mitchell-Garland pairing has drawn criticism and has certainly not lived up to expectations. Garland’s production in particular has dipped since Mitchell’s arrival in 2022, and Klutch Sports may attempt to seek a trade for Garland if the Cavaliers retain Mitchell for the long haul.
Stylistically, Johnson would definitely represent a better fit alongside of Mitchell, as he is a 6-foot-8 forward who does not need the ball in his hands.
The 28-year-old averaged 13.4 points and 4.3 rebounds over 27.6 minutes per game this season, shooting 44.6 percent from the floor, 39.1 percent from three-point range and 78.9 percent from the free-throw line.
Additionally, Johnson is a solid defender who possesses the ability to guard multiple positions due to his size and decent athleticism. On top of that, he is under contract on a reasonable salary (average annual value of $23.6 million) through 2027.
Cleveland would also be landing a microwave scorer in Schroder in the deal, which would help make up for the loss of Garland’s scoring prowess.
All of that being said, I’m not so sure that the Cavs would be very open to trading Garland in a package where Johnson represents the centerpiece.