Tag: Darius Garland

Should the Nets be interested in Darius Garland?

With reports that Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland could want out, should the Brooklyn Nets be interested in the point guard?

The Brooklyn Nets are heading into an offseason where they have a few options for shaping their team if they decide to not wait for the 2025 free-agency class. While Brooklyn is likely to not make any major trades this summer, there is one player who could be asking for a trade soon that could be of interest.

Most of the trade chatter for the Nets since the beginning of the 2023-24 season has been centered around Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell. However, recent reports suggest that if the Cavaliers are able to re-sign Mitchell, Darius Garland could want out of Cleveland.

While it’s still too early to see if the Nets would be interested in Garland given that he hasn’t requested a trade yet, it’s worth pondering what Garland could be for Brooklyn. Since Kyrie Irving was traded last season to the Dallas Mavericks, the Nets have been trying to fill his void with players like Ben Simmons, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Dennis Schroder with varying degrees of success.

At the moment, Brooklyn’s point guard position is spoken for with the aforementioned Simmons and Schroder under contract for the 2024-25 season. However, after that, the Nets will be looking for someone else to be their point guard of the future, especially with the team trying to get back to championship contention sooner rather than later.

One thing to note is that Garland is under contract until the 2027-28 season, but will be due somewhere between $36 million and $44 million per season until then. If the Cavaliers ultimately decide to part with Garland instead of Mitchell, it’s possible that plenty of teams outside of the Nets would have interest in him as well.

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Did LeBron James go to Cavaliers game to look at Darius Garland?

Does LeBron James want the Lakers to trade for Darius Garland instead of Donovan Mitchell this summer?

LeBron James has an infamous reputation for passive-aggressive messages, especially when he is nearing free agency or an opportunity to become a free agent.

He is expected to opt out of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers this summer, and this week, he attended Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Many have been talking about why he did so. Some believe it may have been to “recruit” Cavs star Donovan Mitchell and have the five-time All-Star force a trade to the Lakers.

According to some league sources, however, James was actually in Cleveland to get a look at Darius Garland, Mitchell’s fellow starting guard (h/t Lakers Daily).

Via NBA Analysis Network:

“While it’s speculation, some league personnel who spoke with NBA Analysis Network believe James used his courtside viewing experience in Cleveland to look closer at Klutch Sports Group client Garland as a potential trade target for the Los Angeles Lakers,” wrote Grant Afseth. “However, it remains to be seen what viable trade offering they have that helps the Cavaliers build around Mitchell.”

Garland has been an emerging borderline star over the last few years. However, his numbers in this year’s playoffs were significantly below his regular-season numbers, both in terms of scoring average and shooting efficiency.

But with James in the house for Game 4, Garland scored 30 points, although it took him 27 shots.

Mitchell has been mentioned as a possible trade target for Los Angeles. However, since the Cavs were eliminated from the playoffs on Wednesday, there have been reports that he’s happy in Cleveland. Instead, there’s now speculation that if Mitchell doesn’t force a trade (he can opt out of his contract next summer), Garland may be the one to ask for a trade.

Darius Garland could reportedly seek a trade if Donovan Mitchell signs a Cavs’ contract extension

The backcourt pairing of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland may not lost.

The Cavaliers were eliminated by the Celtics in the second round of the playoffs, and it could lead to some major changes in Cleveland.

Even though the Cavs had several notable injuries during the series loss against Boston, there are some questions the organization has to answer about the long-term fit in both their backcourt and their frontcourt.

Cleveland’s pairing of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell has some serious doubters. So, too, does the fit of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. As such, this offseason could lead to a massive roster overhaul.

Here is more from Shams Charania, Joe Vardon, and Jason Lloyd (via The Athletic)

“Rival executives believe the Cavs will have to seriously evaluate the fit of Mitchell and Garland and ultimately may have to choose one or the other. Should Mitchell decide to stay long term, sources briefed on the matter say Garland’s representation, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, would have a conversation with Cavs officials on potentially finding a new home for the one-time All-Star.”

Mitchell still has another year of his contract and has a player option that would allow him to sign for the following season as well.

This offseason, however, he could sign an extension that could keep him in Cleveland on a long-term deal.

Should he do that, Garland would reportedly question his own role on the Cavaliers.

Dating back to 2021-22, when Garland was named an All-Star, the guard has averaged 32.0 points and 10.3 assists per 100 possessions. But with Mitchell on the court, that has dropped to 25.3 points and 10.0 assists per 100.

Garland dealt with multiple significant injuries this season, which also may have led to some of his productivity issues. But the reality is that if Mitchell stays in Cleveland, it is possible that Garland becomes available in a trade.

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Darius Garland had a priceless reaction to Caris LeVert’s stellar layup during Magic – Cavaliers

This reaction from Darius Garland was priceless.

During the Eastern Conference first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off a fantastic sequence for two points against the visiting Orlando Magic.

On the basket, Cavs guard Darius Garland made a beautiful pass to fellow guard Caris LeVert, who made a falling layup despite tough defense from Magic forward Paolo Banchero and drew a foul in the process.

As Garland went up to LeVert to congratulate him on the play, he made the funniest gesture to express his disbelief in what his teammate pulled off.

Garland’s bewildered celebration really was just as enjoyable to watch as LeVert’s stellar play.

We’ll see how far the four-seed Cavaliers can make it in this year’s Eastern Conference gauntlet, but plays and celebrations like this from LeVert and Garland will keep the team incredibly entertaining for as long as they’re playing.

At the least, this is such a fun highlight so early in this year’s playoffs.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN.

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Darius Garland listed as San Antonio Spurs offseason trade target

Darius Garland was suggested as a San Antonio Spurs trade target for this offseason.

Building out their roster around Victor Wembanyama is the top priority for the San Antonio Spurs this summer. Wembanyama showed capable of leading a successful team in his rookie season, but if the Spurs want to make the playoffs with him at the helm, they need to get guys who can complement him on the court. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report suggested Darius Garland as a potential trade target.

“Darius Garland is my own preference as Option No. 1,” Buckley wrote. “He’s the more ambitious target, since the Cleveland Cavaliers, unlike the Atlanta Hawks, have not reached Defcon Break Up The Backcourt. But they could get there. This isn’t purely about the Cavs’ postseason fate. If Donovan Mitchell plans to re-sign, they may decide they’re better off not shelling out $80-plus million annually to a pair of smaller guards.

“The Spurs don’t quite have the personnel to ship them a wing of the future unless Devin Vassell is involved (which he shouldn’t be). But they have Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, all their own picks, extra firsts from Atlanta, Chicago and Toronto, a fake-ish first from Charlotte and second-rounders galore. If some combination of these assets doesn’t pique Cleveland’s interest, they collectively have the curb appeal required to rope in a third-party facilitator with #ThePlayer who does. So, yeah, the Spurs should target the talented 24-year-old with four years left on what ESPN’s Brian Windhorst aptly calls the “Fun Max” first and then adjust their expectations later—if even necessary.”

Adding Garland to the roster would be huge for Wembanyama and the Spurs.

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14 most surprising omissions (Tyrese Maxey!) from the 2024 USA Basketball men’s player pool

Unless these players denied invitations, these are some very shocking decisions by Team USA.

USA Basketball announced a 41-athlete player pool as candidates for the Paris Olympics roster. Eventually, 12 players will make the final cut.

Among the 12 names that we initially projected to make the roster after the 2023 FIBA World Cup, 11 appeared on the first list. Those players were LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Damian Lillard, Bam Adebayo, Anthony Edwards and Mikal Bridges.

A few notable All-Stars to also earn invitations include Chris Paul, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Paul George, Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, Trae Young, Jrue Holiday, De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, Brandon Ingram, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jarrett Allen.

The other players were Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane, Scottie Barnes, Jalen Brunson, Alex Caruso, Aaron Gordon, Josh Hart, Tyler Herro, Chet Holmgren, Cam Johnson, Walker Kessler, Bobby Portis, Austin Reaves, Duncan Robinson and Derrick White.

Two players who we did not include in our surprising omissions were Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant. While both of these players may have helped the team on the court, they have faced off-court issues that made invitations unlikely — plus Morant is currently injured.

Otherwise, these were the most surprising omissions from the list:

Report: Bulls tried trading Zach LaVine for Darius Garland

According to a recent report, the Chicago Bulls tried to trade Zach LaVine to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland.

Though they’ve been winning more as of late, the Chicago Bulls are still looking to make changes this season. Recent reports indicated their desire to find a trade for Zach LaVine, noting that it’s been their main focus. LaVine is currently injured, and since he went down, the team has actually performed better.

Those two facts may not be completely related, but the point stands: Chicago is looking to move LaVine. The 28-year-old star has three more years on his current contract, including a player option in the final season worth roughly $48.9 million. The Bulls have been active in trying to deal him.

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Bulls have been seeking a haul. They even attempted to trade him to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland.

“The Bulls are still searching for the type of haul that a multi-time All-Star typically draws, which LaVine certainly is based on résumé: an established starter, plus a young player with upside and then first-round draft capital, according to league sources,” Fischer wrote. “Chicago has also attempted swapping LaVine for other All-Star players, such as pitching Cleveland on the concept of acquiring Darius Garland from the Cavaliers, sources said.”

Garland, a 23-year-old one-time All-Star, could help give the Bulls a new-look core moving forward. That said, it seems unlikely the Cavaliers would be interested in such a deal.

In addition, it was recently reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic that Garland will undergo surgery to fix a broken jaw that occurred in the Cavaliers’ December 14 contest against the Boston Celtics. He is slated to miss several weeks of action.

As the Bulls continue to search for a trade for LaVine, their asking price has remained the same: Sky-high.

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Jarrett Allen: We see the seeds being planted, so we’re gonna have something special here

As vital as Donovan Mitchell is for the Cavaliers’ success, Jarrett Allen is almost as crucial for the team. Now in his seventh year, the Texas native is hoping to help anchor the Cavaliers frontline to make a deep playoff run. After hosting 25 …

As vital as Donovan Mitchell is for the Cavaliers’ success, Jarrett Allen is almost as crucial for the team. Now in his seventh year, the Texas native is hoping to help anchor the Cavaliers frontline to make a deep playoff run.

After hosting 25 students at a recent home game, the 2022 All-Star talked with HoopsHype about his recent injury, the foundation of his team, his Thanksgiving event, and more.

Bryce Young gives NBA comparisons for himself, C.J. Stroud

Panthers QB Bryce Young revealed his NBA comparisons for himself and for Texans QB C.J. Stroud.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young has gotten comparisons to Golden State Warriors guard (and Carolina Panthers fan) Steph Curry, even before he was a Carolina Panthers quarterback. But he may not necessarily agree with that evaluation, at least when it comes to actually playing basketball.

Young spoke with reporters this afternoon, just a few days ahead of meeting the Houston Texans and fellow rookie passer C.J. Stroud for their Week 8 showdown. The longtime friendship of the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks was, of course, a topic of discussion during the presser—which even ventured into the hardwood.

“He can hoop,” he said of Stroud’s basketball skills. “We have different games. I’m more of a point. He’s a shooter. He can shoot. He got a strap. He’s a shooter-off-the-catch type of player. I’m more on-the-ball. He can hoop, for sure.”

So, if he can hoop, who does he hoop like? Darin Gantt of Panthers.com tried to get to the bottom of it, asking Young about his NBA comparisons for himself and for Stroud.

“I’d like to say my comparison, is probably like a Darius Garland,” he replied. “And then C.J. . . . that’s a good question. Um, that’s a good question. Honestly, I’d say like a, low key like a Michael Porter Jr. Like, he can hit contested shots, like, not see contests. Just gonna let it go and it’ll go in. See, y’all start askin’ me basketball questions, that’s when I start gettin’ excited.”

Comparisons to an All-Star point guard and a reigning NBA champion? Yeah, we’d say he’s pretty excited.

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Ranking the NBA’s 10 best star trios (now including Dame, Giannis and Middleton)

Can anyone compete with the defending champs?

You need a lot of star power on your roster in order to win a championship in the NBA and several teams just added significant talent.

As the offseason ended, the Bucks traded for Damian Lillard while the Celtics added Jrue Holiday. Earlier this offseason, meanwhile, the Suns added Bradley Beal to a lineup that already had Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. But how do these revamped contenders stack up with the league’s top three-man lineups?

Many publications have ranked the best duos in the NBA — which you can read here, here, here or here. But we wanted to look at the best star trios in the league right now. Here is what we concluded:

Note: Net rating is how many points per 100 possession each team has outscored opponents when these three players are on the court at the same time.