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Moments after the Cleveland Cavaliers saw their season end, word got out that star point guard Darius Garland was fed up. According to reports, Garland's representation preferred a trade for him if Donovan Mitchell signed a contract extension with Cleveland this summer. The belief was that Mitchell was holding Garland back and that a change of scenery was the best avenue for Garland to reignite his breakout season and reach his full potential.
After Mitchell signed a multi-year extension with the Cavs, a Garland trade never followed. Cleveland President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman was emphatic that the Cavs never planned on trading Garland. However, Garland wanted to set the record straight during Cleveland's annual media day. The All-Star guard said he wanted to remain in Cleveland regardless of what was going on with Mitchell, enough so that he had a conversation with the front office to clear the air of any outside noise saying otherwise.
“Had a talk with Koby, and he was pretty upset about it,” Garland said. “I told him that I wanted to be here, and he knows that as well, so it wasn't a really long conversation. … I really don't know [where the rumor came from], but it came out, and it was definitely false.”
What else did Darius Garland say during Cavs media day?
The relationship between Mitchell and Garland is critical for the Cavs. The team can’t reach its ceiling if those two aren’t clicking. When asked about their fit together, Garland also shot down any concern about that.
“We’ve been together three years, and we’ve made a jump every year,” Garland said. “A lot of people don’t see what we have outside of the court. We have a real relationship off the court… that’s my brother.”
Garland was an All-Star before Mitchell arrived. But remember, Garland’s first season with Mitchell was the same statistical as his All-Star campaign. While Garland struggled mightily last year, his fit with Mitchell isn’t necessarily the reason why. A fractured jaw and a knee injury might have had more to do with it.
“I was playing catchup the entire season,” Garland said. “Being down 15 pounds going into the playoffs wasn’t the best way to go about it… I really wasn’t myself.”
With that all out of the way, Garland and the Cavs can focus on what happens on the court. Cleveland hopes for a bounce-back season from Garland, who shared with ClutchPoints that he regained his weight this offseason and is ready to ‘show off’ his new muscles. A healthy season from Garland could be all it takes to quell outside concerns about his fit with Mitchell. If you ask Garland, the vibes between him and Mitchell are immaculate. Now, the focus is to bounce back and make some noise in the Eastern Conference.
