The Cleveland Cavaliers need to figure out what to do with Darius Garland.
He’s obviously a very talented player, but they haven’t been able to count on him when it matters most.
Now, he’ll be recovering from surgery on his injured toe for most of the offseason.
With that in mind, analyst Jimmy Watkins argued that Garland’s trade value might be at an all-time low.
“It’s very hard to trade for a guy who’s injured. It’s very hard to trade for a guy that we don’t know what the plan is for him next season,” Watkins said. “I think it decreases the chances of a trade. However high you thought the odds were before, I think teams are going to be more careful now.”
Garland’s trade value may have already been trending down.
He’s been a non-factor in three consecutive postseasons, and he’s often been sidelined, especially down the stretch.
He’s struggled repeatedly in elimination games, and there were already doubts about his ability to coexist in the backcourt with Donovan Mitchell.
It’s not easy to break up a team that just won 64 regular-season games, and there might be a strong argument for running it back and giving this core another chance.
Then again, even though the Cavs improved this year, the outcome has remained the same year in and year out.
The front office has repeatedly doubled down on Garland, and he’s been a productive player in regular-season games and low-stakes situations.
But availability is the best ability, especially when it matters most and the team needs one of its stars to show up.
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