Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland underwent surgery on June 9 to repair the left big toe injury that troubled him during the 2025 NBA playoffs.
The two-time All-Star could miss the first 10 to 15 games of next season.
During his celebrity softball game, Garland provided a brief update about his recovery.
“I feel great,” Darius Garland said, via Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “The recovery process is going well.”
The Cavaliers traded Isaac Okoro to the Chicago Bulls for Lonzo Ball this offseason. Ball will play a big role for Cleveland next season, especially while Garland is out.
Cleveland was the No. 1 seed in the East last season. Garland averaged 20.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists in 75 games, shooting 47.2% from the field, 40.1% from beyond the arc and 87.8% from the free-throw line.
The Cavaliers swept the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2025 playoffs but lost to the Indiana Pacers in the second round in five games.
Garland, 25, played in only five games in the 2025 postseason because of his foot injury. He averaged 18.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists. The Vanderbilt product shot 42.0% overall and just 28.6% from 3.
Cleveland hasn’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs since 2018. The 2017-18 Cavaliers team, led by LeBron James, reached the NBA Finals, losing to the Golden State Warriors in four games.
The Cavaliers’ core of Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen is under immense pressure to reach the NBA Finals next season since the East is wide open. The Indiana Pacers have already ruled out point guard Tyrese Haliburton and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum may not play either.
It will be fascinating to see how the Cavaliers fare next season. Once Garland is cleared to play, Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson will likely start Garland, Mitchell, De’Andre Hunter, Mobley and Allen.
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