There have been a lot of NBA trade rumors swirling around the Cleveland Cavaliers in recent weeks. At the center of those rumors has been point guard Darius Garland.
The Cleveland Cavaliers made some major changes this offseason. Despite making the playoffs two years in a row, they fired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
Taking over as head coach will be Kenny Atkinson. Atkinson is known for his developmental skills and the franchise is hoping he can help take this roster to the next level.
A lot of focus will be on Evan Mobley, who has several levels he can still unlock. The hiring of Atkinson also put a lot of focus on the future of the Cleveland Cavaliers backcourt.
Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year extension in early July, putting an end to any NBA trade rumors involving him. He is committed to the Cleveland Cavaliers, giving the team some much-needed continuity and security moving forward.
With Mitchell locked in, attention quickly turned to Darius Garland. It was reported early in the offseason that the team could be heading for a situation where it was one or the other staying long-term.
If Mitchell signed an extension, Darius Garland would look to get traded. If Mitchell opted against that and was on the trade block, Garland would stay.
Alas, it doesn’t sound like that was ever the case. As shared by Chris Fedor of cleveland.com, Darius Garland has set the record straight on the NBA rumors circulating; he doesn’t want to go anywhere.
“I don’t want to be traded,” Garland said. “Those are just rumors.”
Of course, we have seen plenty of players say they don’t want to be traded and then they are switching teams shortly after. But, it sounds as if Darius Garland wants to make things work with Mitchell for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
It will be interesting to see how far this partnership can go. Having two undersized guards in the backcourt has its shortcomings.
Can the Cleveland Cavaliers compete with and get past the likes of the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers? Or even the up-and-coming teams such as the Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers?
There is pressure on Atkinson, Mitchell and Darius Garland to help get this team to the next level. Right now, they look to be at least one tier below the upper-echelon teams, fighting for a spot outside of the NBA Play-In Tournament.
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