Rumors of the possibility of the Cleveland Cavaliers breaking up their core four of guards Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell as well as big men Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley have grown louder recently in light of the team’s disappointing second-round exit in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Maybe no player of Cleveland’s core four experienced more of a drop-off in their impact in the 2025 NBA Playoffs compared to the 2024-25 regular season than Garland. During the regular season, he was a very consistent scorer and playmaker for the Cavaliers and even earned the second All-Star appearance of his pro career.
But as has been the status quo so far in his NBA career, he underperformed when the playoffs rolled around and didn’t play at the top of his game when the Cavaliers needed him the most.
Cavaliers insider Chris Fedor sees Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs as a potential trade target for the Cavaliers should they part ways with Garland in light of another underwhelming playoff stint from him. Fedor shared a hypothetical trade option that would net the Cavs Suggs and Tristan da Silva.
Suggs isn’t the gifted scorer and passer that Garland is, but he’s still an effective offensive player. He averaged 16.2 points and 3.7 assists per game for a Magic team that qualified for the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
It is worth noting that he was limited to 35 appearances during the regular season due to injury.
