It appears that Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Darius Garland is staying put with his current team.
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After rumors and speculation that Garland reportedly wanted out of the team if the Cavaliers gave All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell a contract extension this offseason, he ultimately shut that down. The Cavaliers gave Mitchell the contract extension, but that didn’t change Garland’s mind. He told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com that he does not want to be traded.
“I don’t want to be traded,” Garland said. “Those are just rumors.”
A report via The Athletic suggested that if Mitchell were to sign his contract extension, Garland would want out, but he denied those rumors and is intent on building something in Cleveland. According to Fedor, Garland’s agent, Rich Paul, and Cavs head of basketball operations, Koby Altman, spoke this offseason and were adamant about not wanting a change of scenery.
Instead, Garland said he looks forward to how he and Mitchell can grow as a duo.
“It sounds really good,” Garland said. “A lot of spacing and a lot of room for me and Don and all of the other guys to be able to thrive.”
Garland and his new head coach, Kenny Atkinson, have been building a relationship these past few days at the Las Vegas Summer League. Atkinson told Fedor that he is excited to work with Garland and Mitchell so they can build on their second-round appearance this past season.
“I can’t wait to work with them,” Atkinson said of the Cavs’ star guards. “I was a point guard and that’s the quarterback. Those guys are running the show and it’s such a huge position in this league. I identity with them. Huge fan of Darius. Always been a fan. Underrated. Underrated passer. I don’t think he gets enough credit for the feel. Then, Donovan we all know, he’s the real deal. The great ones have a different type of work ethic. He’s wired a little bit differently.”
The former No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft is coming off a down year compared to his two previous seasons. In 2023-24, Garland averaged 18.0 points per game, 6.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals while shooting 44.6 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three. Garland is looking for another massive jump in his game, and with the addition of their new head coach and Mitchell by his side, the sky is the limit for the 24-year-old.
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