Mar 13, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) looks to pass the ball against New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Cavaliers Have New Possible Trade Destination to Watch for Darius Garland

Originally posted on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI
By Evan Dammarell | Last updated Jun 8, 2025 5:12 PM ET

Although the Orlando Magic have been mentioned the most in a possible trade involving Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Darius Garland, it would be remiss of the Cavaliers to ignore any and all possibilities.

According to NBA analyst Jake Weinbach, a team that could be in the mix for Garland are the New Orleans Pelicans. Weinbach notes that New Orleans is looking to build a contender around oft-injured star Zion Williamson and, if Garland is available for the right price, could look to acquire the former All-Star.

I would keep an eye on the Pelicans as a potential suitor for Darius Garland with Cleveland reportedly fielding trade calls.

New Orleans is truly keen on building around Zion Williamson and will be focused on returning to playoff contention under new management.
— Jake Weinbach (@JWeinbachNBA) June 8, 2025

However, if New Orleans is serious in a possible pursuit of Garland, they have to make an offer that will blow Cleveland away. That would require the Pelicans to offer the Cavaliers a package that at least contains Trey Murphy III and either Yves Missi or New Orleans's No. 7 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

That's because playmaking, high-scoring star guards like Garland aren't in immediate supply, the asking price will be high. So, the Pelicans would have to weigh their options and possibly give up to valuable pieces in Murphy and Missi to obtain Garland.

Garland averaged 20.6 points, 6.7 assists and 2.9 rebounds for the Cavaliers in 75 regular season games. His efforts helped push Cleveland to a 64-18 record and the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

However, despite Garland's impressive and sometimes dominant play, Cleveland has not reached the Conference Finals since the 2018-19 season and have bowed out in the first two rounds in three consecutive seasons.

So, if a team like the Pelicans makes a possible offer the Cavaliers cannot refuse, it could mean moving on from Garland to level up as a team and possibly compete for an NBA Championship.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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