With Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland in trade rumors, the Cavs will have one of NBA’s most intriguing summers

The 2021-22 Cleveland Cavaliers had largely found the basis of their defensive identity. They badly needed another injection of scoring. They traded for Donovan Mitchell hoping that a partnership with Darius Garland would give them one of the best offensive duos in the NBA. But last season, the Cavs’ offense ranked 16th in the league.

Cleveland has underwhelmed in the last two postseasons as well. A disappointing first-round upset against the New York Knicks ended their 2023 season. They made it through the first round in 2024, but it took seven games against an Orlando Magic team even younger and less experienced. The Boston Celtics knocked them out from there.

Now the Cavaliers are at a crossroads. Donovan Mitchell is one year away from free agency. His fit with Garland clearly hasn’t worked. It’s hard to imagine both are back in Cleveland next season. So what should we expect on the trade front out of Cleveland’s two sharpshooting guards?

Why they’re in trade rumors

For Mitchell, it’s simple: he’s one year away from free agency. For years, rumors suggested that he wanted to play in a big market, with his hometown Knicks, who tried to land him in 2022, at the top of his list. The Cavaliers lost LeBron James to free agency twice. They aren’t going to let Mitchell walk for nothing. If he tells them that he does not plan to sign a contract extension, the Cavaliers are going to trade him. Given the draft picks they gave up to get him, that would be the only way they could get this era back on track without him.

Garland’s situation is tied to Mitchell’s. Through two years together, their fit just hasn’t worked. Garland made an All-Star team before Mitchell arrived. Mitchell led the Cavs to their best play of the season when Garland was injured. When the two shared the court last season, they scored 113.7 points per 100 possessions. That would have come out to 20th in the NBA over the full season, and they were better overall offensively when the two played separately. These are two ball-dominant guards who minimize one another when…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/with-donovan-mitchell-darius-garland-in-trade-rumors-the-cavs-will-have-one-of-nbas-most-intriguing-summers/

Author : Sam Quinn

Publish date : 2024-06-18 21:02:14

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.