The Cleveland Cavaliers have had a trying season so far in their second year under head coach Kenny Atkinson. While injuries have been an issue, this group has looked far from the team that won 64 games last season. With a little more than a month until the trade deadline, an NBA insider revealed whether the franchise is considering a monumental shake-up to the roster.
NBA Insider Clarified the Cavaliers’ Stance on Trading Darius Garland
Darius Garland has been one of the key players in the Cavaliers’ resurgence over the past few seasons. Unfortunately for the two-time All-Star, he has struggled with injuries and inconsistent play this season. Garland is currently on a five-year, $197,230,450 rookie max extension that ends after the 2027-28 season.
That contract limits the Cavaliers’ financial flexibility, and with the team’s 18-16 record, there has been speculation that the front office is considering trading its star point guard.
According to Ashish Mathur, an insider from Cavaliers Nation, there’s been a specific franchise that has shown keen interest in trading for Garland. For now, though, the Cavaliers remain confident in their four cornerstone players.
“The Cavaliers continue to tell the Kings that they don’t want to trade the two-time All-Star, sources said. The Kings have been interested in Garland ever since they traded De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs last season. Sacramento attempted to trade for Garland this past offseason, but Cleveland rejected the trade inquiries, according to sources.
Although the Cavaliers have gotten off to a poor start this season, the president of basketball operations, Koby Altman, has no interest in trading Garland or center Jarrett Allen, sources said. Cleveland’s ‘Core 4’ of Garland, Allen, Donovan Mitchell, and Evan Mobley is expected to remain intact for the rest of the season.”
The Sacramento Kings are “very interested” in trading for Darius Garland, per @WeAreCavsNation
“Sacramento attempted to trade for Garland this past offseason, but Cleveland rejected the trade inquiries.”
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— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) December 30, 2025
The Cavaliers Remain a Dangerous Team in the Eastern Conference
The Christmas Day clash between the Cavaliers and the New York Knicks was supposed to be a potential preview of the Eastern Conference Finals. The game itself lived up to the billing and indicated that the Atkinsons’ team still has the ceiling to be a contender once again.
The main weaknesses of this team so far have been the lack of offensive production outside of star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell and the group’s inability to close tight games. A healthy and in-form Darius Garland can resolve both those pressing issues, and at just 25 years old, there’s a lot of reason to believe he can find his rhythm once again.
That said, if the uneven play continues into February, the Cavaliers may return to the negotiating table with the Kings.
