Tag: Darius Garland

Draft prospect Boogie Fland: ‘When the game’s on the line, I want the ball in my hands – that’s where I thrive’

Boogie Fland, a projected first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (No. 20 on our latest Aggregate Mock Draft), is quickly making a name for himself as a freshman under John Calipari in his first year coaching Arkansas after leaving Kentucky. Standing …

Boogie Fland, a projected first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (No. 20 on our latest Aggregate Mock Draft), is quickly making a name for himself as a freshman under John Calipari in his first year coaching Arkansas after leaving Kentucky.

Standing at about 6-foot-2 and weighing just under 180 pounds, Fland will draw comparisons to a former Calipari-coached guard Rob Dillingham, the 8th overall pick in last year’s draft, or a little-known guard drafted out of Vanderbilt named Darius Garland.

Known for his shooting touch, poise, playmaking and his ability to thrive both on-ball and off-ball, Fland is already showcasing his potential as a future NBA guard.

Following a clutch performance against Miami, Fland spoke with HoopsHype and reflected on the start of his true freshman season, his ability to close games, his playstyle, playing in high-intensity situations early in the year and more.

San Antonio Spurs reportedly inquired on Cavaliers’ Darius Garland

From the sounds of things, it seems that it is not just the Spurs who were looking to pry Garland free.

The San Antonio Spurs reportedly kicked the tires on what a trade for star Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland, according to recent reports. But it seems that the Cavs had little interest in dealing away their starting floor general to the Spurs.

According to Yahoo Sports reporter Jake Fischer, “San Antonio called various teams around the league exploring veteran guards who have still yet to enter their primes,” and the Cleveland guard was among the targets the Spurs had interest in bringing onto the team via trade. “Garland was another talented ball-handler the Spurs called about,” added Fischer, “although Cleveland has rebuffed any inbound trade interest for Garland to date.”

From the sounds of things, it seems that it is not just the Spurs who were looking to pry Garland free.

And truth be told, it is probably wise for the Cavs to see some more (hopefully) healthy pairing with Cleveland shooting guard Donovan Mitchell before making any drastic moves.

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NBA insider names eight potential trade targets for the Lakers

Who could the Lakers go after in a trade either this summer or before this winter’s trade deadline?

At this point in the offseason, after the Los Angeles Lakers failed to sign any free agents, the only way they can upgrade their roster is through a trade. While they have a good roster that should make the playoffs if they stay relatively healthy, they don’t seem to be championship contenders by any stretch.

The Lakers’ needs are (in no particular order) an upgrade in terms of a ball-handling guard with better quickness and defense, a 3-and-D wing and a serviceable defensive center.

According to NBA insider Jake Weinbach, there are eight players to watch as far as possible trade targets for Los Angeles: Darius Garland, Bruce Brown, Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Jerami Grant, Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith and Wendell Carter Jr.

Carter is someone who could solve the Lakers’ need for another legitimate center other than Anthony Davis. Although he has been injury-prone, he has shown the ability to rebound and occasionally hit 3-pointers.

Garland and Sexton would represent possible backcourt upgrades for the Lakers, while Brown, Johnson and Finney-Smith are intriguing 3-and-D wings.

Grant is someone the Lakers have been rumored to have serious interest in this summer. Having averaged 21.0 points a game this past summer, he could give them a legitimate third scoring option and another 3-point sniper, and he’s also a pretty good defender.

Markkanen would be the loftiest target on this list. He put up 24.5 points and 8.4 rebounds a game over the last two seasons while making the All-Star team in the 2022-23 campaign, and a number of teams are thought to be after his services.

The Lakers have limited trade assets, but their upcoming first-round draft picks in 2029 and 2031 could be seen as valuable by some other team.

Report: Nets could be one team interested in trading for Darius Garland

Per Evan Dammarell of Right Down Euclid, the Brooklyn Nets could be one of the teams interested in trading for Darius Garland.

The Brooklyn Nets are one of the teams in the NBA that has to think about every way possible for them to improve enough to make it back to the playoffs. While Brooklyn is currently limited to adding players outside of the 2024 NBA Draft, there is a possible trade target for them depending on certain events.

Per Evan Dammarell of Right Down Euclid, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland could be available for a trade this summer assuming that he would prefer to play elsewhere if Donovan Mitchell ends up re-signing with the Cavaliers. If the dominos fall as what some reports have indicated, there are a few teams that could be interested in Garland’s services, including the Nets.

“Things will probably come to a head in the coming days, and several league sources shared with Right Down Euclid that if Garland demands a move to an Eastern Conference team, the Orlando Magic, the Brooklyn Nets, the Washington Wizards, and the Toronto Raptors could all enter the conversation,” Dammarell wrote.

The interesting tidbit about this reporting is if Garland insists on being dealt to a team in the Eastern Conference, Brooklyn is one of the teams in that group that could sorely use a point guard of the future to pair with Cam Thomas and Mikal Bridges. As of right now, the point guards on the Nets’ roster are Ben Simmons and Dennis Schroder, two players who will be free-agents after the 2024-25 season.

Granted, Brooklyn could be of the belief that Thomas is their lead guard of the future once Simmons and Schroder are off the books, but it appears that the Nets are more comfortable with Thomas as an off-ball guard who can focus more on scoring. If that is the case, then Brooklyn trading for Garland could set up their backcourt for the next few years.

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What sort of star would you want to see the San Antonio Spurs go all-in for via trade?

San Antonio may elect to trade one or both of their lottery picks for an established player.

A whole lot of attention is being paid toward what the San Antonio Spurs will do with their Nos. 4 and 8 picks in the 2024 NBA draft, and rightly so. The moves they make with those picks could one day affect whether star French forward Victor Wembanyama wins a title with the players who end up on the Spurs roster from those selections.

But it’s important to keep in mind that San Antonio may elect to trade one or both of those picks for an established player instead. What sort of star would you want to see the Spurs go all-in for?

The host of the “Locked On Spurs” podcast, Jeff Garcia, took some time on a recent episode with San Antonio Sports Star’s James Pledger, who came on the show to talk about which player the Spurs should go all-in for: Darius Garland or Lauri Markkanen.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say.

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Darius Garland floated as ‘ambitious trade target’ for Spurs

Darius Garland could be an interesting trade target for the San Antonio Spurs this summer.

The San Antonio Spurs should be doing everything possible this summer to improve their team around Victor Wembanyama, and there should be a plethora of stars available on the trade market for them to consider. Dan Favale of Bleacher Report floated the idea of them going after Darius Garland, listing him as an “ambitious trade target” for San Antonio.

“Pairing him with Wemby is next-level perfect,” Favale wrote. “Garland won’t be nudged off the ball as often as he is beside Mitchell, and while he’s on the smaller end, at 6’1″, the Spurs’ 7’4″ alien can cover up for anyone on defense.”

“Prying Garland out of Cleveland won’t come cheap even if he’s pushing for an exit. And any prospective package is complicated by the Cavaliers presumably angling for players over picks. Devin Vassell should remain untouchable in these talks. But Garland fits the Wemby timeline well enough for San Antonio to peddle Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan and first-rounders, and to rally together third-party helpers if the situation demands it.”

Garland’s playmaking and shot creation would take the Spurs’ offense to another level.

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Bobby Marks suggests a Darius Garland trade package for the Lakers

Would Bobby Marks’ suggested trade be a good one for the Lakers?

The Los Angeles Lakers’ biggest personnel need is an upgrade over either D’Angelo Russell or Austin Reaves in their backcourt. They need a legitimate scoring threat and facilitator, as well as someone who will consistently create pace.

In addition to the impact that type of player would have on his own, he would take pressure off an aging LeBron James while reducing James’ workload.

To that end, Trae Young, Dejounte Murray and Donovan Mitchell have been mentioned as potential targets for Los Angeles. But according to at least one report, if Mitchell doesn’t force his way off of the Cleveland Cavaliers, his backcourt mate Darius Garland could instead ask for a trade.

Bobby Marks, an analyst for ESPN, suggested the Lakers could trade Reaves and forward Rui Hachimura for Garland (h/t The Cold Wire).

Garland will make $36.7 million next season, which could make him a bit too expensive for L.A. given his level of production. While he averaged a solid 18 points a game in the regular season, that was down from 21.6 a game last season. In addition, his efficiency fell from 46.2% overall and 41% from 3-point range last season to 44.6% and 37.1%, respectively, this year.

In this season’s playoffs, Garland’s numbers dipped further. He put up 15.7 points on 42.7% overall and 35.2% from downtown.

However, he is a crafty guard with good handles and smooth offensive skills overall, and he’s just 24 years of age, which means he’ll be around for a long time after James leaves.

It should be noted Garland is represented by Klutch Sports, the same agency that represents James and Anthony Davis.

Should the San Antonio Spurs try to trade for Darius Garland?

Could the San Antonio Spurs potentially make a trade for Darius Garland this offseason?

The San Antonio Spurs have a chance to completely reshape their future this summer. Victor Wembanyama already looks like one of the best players in the NBA. He was the unanimous Rookie of the Year this season and also finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. But now, it’s up to the Spurs to put a great team around him.

The trade market will provide them with an essential opportunity to improve the roster, and targeting playmaking should be a top priority. One guy who they could potentially take a look at is Cleveland Cavaliers star Darius Garland. Ever since the Cavs’ playoff exit at the hands of the Boston Celtics, there has been a ton of smoke around Cleveland and the moves they could make this summer.

The SSPN YouTube channel recently spoke about the idea of the Spurs trading for Garland.

Adding Garland’s offensive talent would help take the Spurs to the next level.

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Trade rumor rankings: Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young and more

HoopsHype ranks the five players who have appeared most often in trade rumors over the past week, including Darius Garland and more.

After a break of a few months, we’re back with another installment of our Trade Rumors Rankings series in which we rank the NBA players who are likeliest to get traded based on how often they’ve been mentioned in trade rumors over the prior week, according to appearances on our Trade Rumors page.

Today, we’re going to discuss five players whose seasons are already over, with the interesting part being that they all play on two teams.

One thing we are sure of is that it should be a very interesting summer as far as player movement in the NBA, more so than last offseason.

Below, check out the five players who have been mentioned most often in trade rumors over the previous week.

Should the Spurs consider trading for Cavs star Darius Garland?

Could the San Antonio Spurs pull off a trade for Cleveland Cavaliers star Darius Garland this offseason?

The San Antonio Spurs are going to be on the hunt for potential ways to improve this summer. Victor Wembanyama just wrapped up an incredible rookie season that saw him win the first-ever unanimous Rookie of the Year award, and now, it’s up to the Spurs to make the roster better around him.

One potential trade target could be Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland. Following their postseason exit at the hands of the Boston Celtics, there has been a ton of smoke around the Cavs. One rumor has been that Garland could want to leave if Donovan Mitchell re-signs in Cleveland.

The CLAN the SPURS fan recently spoke about the idea, discussing whether or not the Spurs could look to trade for Garland this offseason.

Garland, a one-time All-Star, would be a great fit next to Wembanyama. His playmaking talent and shot creation would seriously elevate the Spurs’ offensive game.

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