The Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly tried to trade for Kevin Durant.
The two-time NBA champion didn’t have them among his preferred destinations, and as a result, he landed with the Houston Rockets.
That means that the team is actively trying to get better.
Then again, that doesn’t mean they’re trying to move on from any of their current pieces.
According to team insider Terry Pluto, they would only consider moving Darius Garland for a valuable offer.
And now that he’s gotten hurt, teams are reportedly trying to acquire him at a bargain price, thus making any trade even less likely:
“Don’t expect a huge trade. This isn’t shocking. I’ve been reporting this along with many others. The Darius Garland toe surgery (4-to-6 months) makes it even less likely he’ll be traded. The Cavs were already figuring to keep him, unless they had an eye-popping offer. Now, they’ve been hearing from teams trying to acquire the two-time All-Star at a bargain price because of the injury/surgery,” Pluto wrote.
Garland struggled with a toe injury down the stretch, and he was visibly limited throughout the course of the playoffs.
It’s not the first time that he’s been hurt at crucial times, and there are also several instances in which he has failed to live up to expectations.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t make him a bad player, and while he may not be the star-caliber player or the leader the Cavs have needed him to be, they shouldn’t just move him for spare parts.
Given his history of injuries, the Cavs, who didn’t even want to deal him in the first place, might be effectively stuck with him.
But who knows? They already shocked the fans by entering the Kevin Durant sweepstakes.
So, if any other star becomes available, they might also inquire about their availability and look to make a big splash in what’s expected to be a crazy offseason.
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