David Richard-Imagn Images

Cavaliers Could Make Big Trade This Offseason

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ashish Mathur | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 7:28 PM ET

The Cleveland Cavaliers were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference this year. They won 64 games during the regular season under first-year head coach Kenny Atkinson, who won the 2024-25 Coach of the Year Award.

The Cavaliers swept the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2025 playoffs. It appeared Cleveland was primed to compete for the championship for the first time in the second post-LeBron James era.

However, the Indiana Pacers humbled the Cavaliers in the conference semifinals, winning that series in five quick games. Indiana won Games 1, 2 and 5 in Cleveland, sending Cavaliers fans who went to those games home sad.

The Cavaliers haven't advanced past the second round of the playoffs since acquiring Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz in 2022. Some around the NBA believe Cleveland general manager Koby Altman has to make a big trade this offseason for Atkinson's group to take the next step.

According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland “might be available under the right circumstances.” Garland has spent his entire career in Cleveland. He was the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Garland, 25, will make $39.4 million next season. He struggled against the Pacers in the conference semifinals, averaging only 14.0 points while shooting just 34.2% from the field and 16.7% from beyond the arc.

Garland appeared in 75 games for the Cavaliers this season. He averaged 20.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists while shooting 47.2% from the floor, 40.1% from 3 and 87.8% from the free-throw line.

Garland is listed at 6-1, 192 pounds, while Mitchell is listed at 6-3, 215 pounds. That's a small backcourt in today's NBA, which is why some believe Garland should be traded for a bigger guard this summer.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: