After securing a three-year, $150.3 million extension with Donovan Mitchell, the attention in Cleveland now turns to the Cavaliers building the ideal roster around their franchise star.
Evan Mobley is likely untouchable and can sign a five-year extension this summer. Jarrett Allen could be moved, although he’s under a team-friendly, two-year, $40 million contract and was the Cavs’ second-best player last season.
This puts the spotlight on Darius Garland, an All-Star in 2022 the year before Cleveland traded for Mitchell. Garland is going into the second season of a five-year, $197.2 million max contract, with the Cavs projected to have three max deals (along with Allen’s $20 million) on the books for the 2025-26 season.
In a wing-dominated league, the Cavs don’t have the bodies to match up with the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and now Philadelphia 76ers, teams that have added, re-signed or extended players like Jayson Tatum, Paul George, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges this offseason.
Cleveland shouldn’t necessarily want to trade a 24-year-old point guard just starting to enter his prime, but future financial constrictions along with the need for bigger wings may force the Cavs to at least entertain offers. Agent Rich Paul was very non-committal about Garland’s future in Cleveland during an interview with Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes as well.
If the Cavs make Garland available, there’s a clear landing spot for him given both team need and agency connections.
The Los Angeles Lakers look like the ideal landing spot for Garland, a team in need of a third star alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. While a two-team deal is possible, bringing in the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets would help all three franchises get what they need.
Here’s what a framework of a Garland-to-L.A. trade would look like:
Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: F Cam Johnson, G Austin Reaves, F Rui Hachimura
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: PG Darius Garland, G/F Caris LeVert
Brooklyn Nets Receive: PG D’Angelo Russell, SG Jalen Hood-Schifino, F/C Christian Wood, 2029 first-round pick via Lakers
Let’s break down what this trade would mean for all three teams.
Cavs Receive: F Cam Johnson, G Austin Reaves, F Rui Hachimura
Cavs Lose: PG Darius Garland, G/F Caris LeVert
Even though the Cavs are giving up the best player in this trade, Cleveland gets a big boost in size, shooting and financial flexibility moving forward.
Donovan Mitchell proved he can play the point guard position full-time when Garland was hurt last season, and the Cavs had a better net rating with the five-time All-Star at floor general (plus-7.9, per Cleaning the Glass) than when Garland and Mitchell played together (plus-5.7).
Reaves helps make up for the loss of playmaking with Garland and LeVert now leaving, as the 26-year-old averaged a career-high 5.5 assists to go along with his 15.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. At 6’5″, Reaves gives the Cavs a much bigger starting backcourt, or he could serve as a sixth man who can score and set the table for others.
Johnson, 28, can play either forward position with his 6’8″ frame and is an elite floor-spacing option. In 47 games as a starter with Brooklyn last season he averaged 14.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and shot 41.2 percent from three, including a 46.2 percent mark from the corners. He’d potentially give the Cavs a huge frontcourt along with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen or could slide down to power forward in one-big lineups as well.
Hachimura, 26, is another big wing (6’8″, 230 pounds) who can shoot, defend and is a potential starting option for a new-look Cavs lineup. He was terrific for the Lakers in 39 starts, putting up 15.4 points and 4.8 rebounds on 57.5 percent shooting overall and 43.9 percent from three.
All three players are under multiyear contracts that range from $12.9 million (Reaves) to $23.6 million (Johnson) and are in or about to enter their primes.
Cleveland would come away with a starting five of Mitchell, Max Strus, Johnson, Mobley and Allen with Reaves, Hachimura, Isaac Okoro (restricted free agent), Dean Wade, Georges Niang, Sam Merrill, Craig Porter Jr., Ty Jerome and Jaylon Tyson off the bench.
Lakers Receive: PG Darius Garland, G/F Caris LeVert
Lakers Lose: Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell, F/C Christian Wood, SG Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2029 first-round pick
Even with LeBron James signing a new contract to return and the team selecting Dalton Knecht and Bronny James in the 2024 draft, the Lakers aren’t close to being a championship team. Former trade target Dejounte Murray has already been dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans, which also makes it more unlikely that the Atlanta Hawks part with Trae Young.
Garland is the ideal candidate to take over point guard duties.
The 24-year-old has five seasons of experience under his belt and has averaged 20.6 points, 7.7 assists and 1.3 steals on 38.9 percent shooting from three over the past three years. He was named an All-Star in 2022, with James selecting him in the All-Star draft over Donovan Mitchell, Jimmy Butler, Murray and others.
Agent Rich Paul should be thrilled to have Garland move to Los Angeles and team up with fellow clients in James and Davis, giving the Lakers an additional scorer and facilitator to ease the burden on a soon-to-be 40-year-old James. LeVert, 29, averaged 14.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game last season, giving Los Angeles some additional offensive pop.
Reaves and Hachimura have been nice pieces for the Lakers, although moving on from Russell and Wood shouldn’t be a surprise. Hood-Schifino spent most of last season in the G League and the Lakers could attempt to put a protection on the 2029 pick (and could still trade their 2031 first-rounder in a future deal).
The Lakers would have a new starting lineup of Garland, LeVert, James, Jarred Vanderbilt and Davis with Knecht, Gabe Vincent, Max Christie, Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish off the bench.
The move would also shed $2.2 million off LA’s books, important for a team that’s currently projected to be $1.2 million over the second apron luxury tax line.
Nets Receive: PG D’Angelo Russell, SG Jalen Hood-Schifino, F/C Christian Wood, 2029 first-round pick (via Lakers)
Nets Lose: F Cam Johnson
The Brooklyn Nets are beginning a hard reset of the franchise as evidenced by trading away Mikal Bridges and orchestrating a deal with the Houston Rockets to get some of their own first-round picks back.
Johnson, 28, no longer fits the timeline of this team, with Brooklyn still owing the forward $68.8 million over the next three years. Swapping him out in a deal that brings in the expiring contracts of Russell and Wood would clear $17.5 million worth of cap space next summer in addition to Ben Simmons’ expiring $40.3 million deal. Brooklyn would become an ideal landing spot for teams looking to dump contracts and picks.
Brooklyn could keep both Russell and Wood or look to re-route them to a contender in need of a point guard or floor-spacing big man. Russell, 28, made the All-Star team in his last season with the Nets in 2018-19, averaging 21.1 points and 7.0 assists per game. Brooklyn could try to recharge his value and move the veteran floor general closer to the trade deadline.
Hood-Schifino just turned 21 and was the 17th overall pick in the draft last season. He could become a foundational piece moving forward for a young Nets team.
The Nets also get the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick, which will almost certainly convey after LeBron James has retired.
