Darius Garland Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Trae Young, Hawks Not Expected To Discuss Extension During Offseason

August 10th, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

There are no plans for extension talks between Trae Young and the Hawks this summer, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (subscriber link).

As Fischer indicated during a Bleacher Report live stream on Thursday, Young and his camp have been resigned for a while to the idea that he’ll have to play out the final guaranteed year on his current deal. He’ll face a decision on a $49MM player option next summer.

Fischer reports that when Young was represented by Klutch Sports, Rich Paul viewed him as a potential partner for Victor Wembanyama. At the time, Paul was hoping to get one of his points guards to the Spurs, whether it was Young, De’Aaron Fox or Darius Garland.

Fischer states that Fox’s contract expiring a year before Young’s brought a sense of urgency to his future, along with Fox’s desire to relocate to Texas. San Antonio acquired him from Sacramento in a three-team deal in February and gave him a four-year max extension last week.

Young is now represented by CAA, and Fischer makes it clear that he’s not looking to force his way out of Atlanta. The Hawks appear to be a legitimate contender after upgrading their roster over the summer, and Fischer states that Kristaps Porzingis may be the best scoring forward Young has ever teamed up with.

Fischer notes that Atlanta’s improvement could boost Young’s chances of earning All-NBA honors this season, which would increase the maximum value of a five-year contract into the $335MM range.

Sources tell Fischer that Young is disappointed that the Hawks haven’t reached out to him about an extension. However, that could change if he pushes them back toward the playoffs. If it doesn’t happen, he may wind up as one of the top free agents in next year’s market.

Fischer adds that Young’s strong relationship with coach Quin Snyder adds to the optimism that a new deal will eventually get worked out.

Cavs’ Atkinson Talks Garland’s Recovery, Point Guard Plan, More

August 5th, 2025 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland said on Saturday that he feels “great” in the wake of June toe surgery, but that doesn’t mean the team is counting on having him available when training camp begins this fall. Reporting at the time of Garland’s surgery indicated he would likely miss the start of the season, and head coach Kenny Atkinson confirmed to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required) that he doesn’t expect Garland to be fully healthy when the club reconvenes this fall.

“That’s not a medical opinion. That’s just my sense of this,” Atkinson said during an appearance at Garland’s celebrity softball game in Eastlake. “Under-promise and over-deliver. We’re not going to rush or push this. If he is ready, then great. I will rely on (trainer) Steve (Spiro) and Darius to tell me. But I don’t expect that.”

Atkinson told Fedor that Garland has approached his rehab process “really well” and is focused on strength training until he’s able to run again. The Cavs’ head coach also expressed confidence in the point guard alternatives he’ll have on hand while his starter is on the shelf, even after Ty Jerome departed Cleveland for Memphis in free agency.

“We have Don (Donovan Mitchell). We have Lonzo (Ball). We have CP (Craig Porter Jr.),” Atkinson said. “We are kind of covered. We also have Evan (Mobley), where we can throw it to him in a trail position and have him be a play-maker.”

Pointing out that tinkering with his lineups will likely result in the Cavs learning some things about their players that they otherwise wouldn’t figure out, Atkinson suggested he’ll welcome the opportunity to problem-solve and find the silver lining in Garland’s early-season absence.

“I hate that this injury happened to Darius, but it allows you to start figuring out things for the times he is not available,” Atkinson said. “Last year in the playoffs it just hit us and maybe we weren’t as prepared as we could have been. If we have to play games without him, this will allow us to kind of experiment a little and see if we can find play-making in other places.”

The Cavaliers’ coach also acknowledged that managing playing time for Garland and other key players over the course of the season will be something the team seriously consider after the roster was hit hard by injuries in the 2025 postseason.

“I think that is the plan for the whole roster,” Atkinson said. “How do we become a more durable team? We are going into round two (of the playoffs) and we have 14 guys healthy, that’s the goal. We had a plan in place, but I think we have to do better when it comes to figuring that out. It’s a hard part of my job too.”

Cavs’ Darius Garland Feels ‘Great’ Following Toe Surgery

August 3rd, 2025 at 9:51am CST by Rory Maher

Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland hosted his first annual celebrity softball game on Saturday, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). While the two-time All-Star was unable to participate in the festivities beyond taking a few swings in the batting cage and throwing out the first pitch, he provided an encouraging health update.

“I feel great. The recovery process is going well. But I’m here for my foundation,” Garland said. “I’m here to spread some positivity around the city of Cleveland and trying to have a good time. I always loved baseball, so I tried to make it a little bit competitive and kind of friendly as well.

“It’s my first one, so I’m kind of nervous, but I hope it’s going to be really cool and everybody really enjoys themselves.”

Garland, who made his second All-Star team last season, underwent surgery in June to repair the left great toe injury that hampered him in the postseason. He’s expected to miss some time to start the 2025/26 season.

Garland’s name has popped up in trade rumors for the second straight offseason, though things have quieted down considerably of late. The Kings and Suns were reportedly among the teams that expressed interest in the 25-year-old.

According to Fedor, seven members of the Cavaliers — including Garland — were present at the event, with the others being Evan Mobley, Jaylon Tyson, Max Strus, head coach Kenny Atkinson, president of basketball operations Koby Altman, and executive Grant Gilbert. Free agent center Tristan Thompson, who has spent the past two years with Cleveland, also participated.

“This city has embraced me since day one, and this event is a way to give that love back,” Garland said, per Fedor. “It’s more than just a game — it’s a celebration with purpose, supporting the work we’re doing through the Darius Garland Foundation to uplift and empower others in a meaningful way.”

Windhorst: Suns Asked For Darius Garland In Kevin Durant Trade Talks

June 25th, 2025 at 3:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns contacted the Cavaliers about Darius Garland while trying to put together a Kevin Durant trade, NBA insider Brian Windhorst reported in a discussion with Chris Oldach of ESPN Cleveland (YouTube link).

Windhorst emphasizes that Phoenix initiated the trade talks, stating that Cleveland isn’t reaching out to teams in an effort to unload Garland. He adds that the Cavs’ response was to ask for Durant and “other assets” in a potential deal, which likely would have been “multiple first-round picks.” Presumably that would have included a 2029 first-rounder that originally belonged to Cleveland (though the Jazz now control swap rights on that first-rounder, so there’s no guarantee the Suns will end up with the Cavs’ pick).

Windhorst states that Phoenix “didn’t hang up the phone” when presented with that scenario. He also notes that the Cavaliers would have needed to offload salary before taking on Durant, stating that they contacted at least one team to see if there was interest.

Ultimately, the talks ended before getting serious because Durant didn’t want to play in Cleveland, according to Windhorst, who points out that the forward had a limited number of desired destinations, reportedly Houston, San Antonio and Miami.

Windhorst indicates that several teams in need of point guard help have made inquiries about Garland, who will make $39.5MM next season and is under contract through 2027/28. He also states that Garland “might have been on the verge of asking for a trade” last summer, but he’s now happy in Cleveland after putting together an All-Star season.

Windhorst expects the Cavs to make “an aggressive offer” to keep free agent guard Ty Jerome, which means Isaac Okoro or Dean Wade may have to be moved to clear up salary. He adds that the team won’t trade any of its stars to save money, but it will face difficult decisions while operating in second-apron territory.

And-Ones: Howard, Jordan, Shoe Deals, 2019 Redraft

June 15th, 2025 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Dwight Howard was ejected Saturday during his BIG3 debut for getting into a fight with former NBA player Lance Stephenson, BasketNews relays. The scuffle began after Howard, who plays for the Los Angeles Riot, appeared to get elbowed in the chest by Stephenson of Miami 305. Howard swatted Stephenson’s arm away, and they began exchanging punches (video link from Ballislife.com).

“This is not exactly how I pictured my debut going,” Howard said in a statement released by his team.

Stephenson was also involved in an incident with L.A.’s Jordan Crawford, BasketNews adds. After a brief confrontation, Crawford put his hand in Stephenson’s face and touched his nose. Stephenson responded by throwing a punch, but both players stayed in the game.

Howard, an eight-time All-Star and a member of this year’s Basketball Hall of Fame class, is one of the most significant names ever to join the BIG3, which is now in its eighth season.

“Dwight’s legacy speaks for itself,” league co-founder Ice Cube said. “He still has fun playing the game … and now he gets to show his full skill set in the BIG3.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Michael Jordan is looking forward to joining the NBC Sports broadcasting team when the network resumes covering the NBA this fall, announcer Noah Eagle said during an appearance on the Awful Announcing Podcast with Brandon Contes. Jordan will serve as a special contributor, but his duties haven’t been defined. Eagle said NBC Sports executive Jon Miller, a longtime friend of Jordan who arranged his hiring, told him that the NBA legend is “legitimately excited.” “And I asked him, I said, ‘Is he legitimately in on this?’ And he was like, ‘Yes, he’s fully, fully in,’” Eagle said. “Whatever that means is great. I have no idea what he’s going to be doing, but I just love the fact that I can walk around and be like, ‘You know my colleague?’ ‘Who’s that?’ ‘You know, Michael Jordan. No big deal. Just a Hall of Famer. Some would say he’s the greatest basketball player ever, but, yeah, he’s also my co-worker.’”
Jason Jones and Shakeia Taylor of The Athletic examine the evolution of shoe contracts among NBA players, noting that Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton is debuting the Puma Hali 1 during the Finals. Jones and Taylor state that players are placing greater emphasis on ownership and control of their brands.
Memphis guard Ja Morant rises to the No. 1 pick as HoopsHype conducts a 2019 redraft. Cleveland guard Darius Garland also moves ahead of New Orleans forward Zion Williamson, the actual No. 1 pick, with Miami guard Tyler Herro and Washington guard Jordan Poole rounding out the top five.

Trade Rumors: Giannis, Durant, Spurs, Garland

June 10th, 2025 at 11:50am CST by Luke Adams

The trade market for Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to be nonexistent, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on Tuesday during an appearance on Get Up (YouTube link). As Windhorst explained, despite rampant speculation about the possibility of the two-time MVP being traded this offseason, there has still been no indication that either Antetokounmpo or the Bucks are preparing for that scenario.

“Giannis Antetokounmpo has gone overseas to travel with his family. He has made no trade request to the Bucks. He has made no trade hint to the Bucks,” Windhorst said. “The Bucks are proceeding with their offseason as if Giannis is going to be with them, and there’s no significant trade talks right now. The plan is for Giannis Antetokounmpo to be a Buck.

“Now, he can change all that with a simple request, but that request has not happened and it’s not clear it’s going to happen anytime soon.”

Windhorst’s reporting lines up with what we’ve heard recently from Jake Fischer of The Stein Line and Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Both Fischer and Lewis indicated there’s increased skepticism among league sources that Antetokounmpo will end up on the trade block in the coming weeks.

It’s still not a sure thing that Antetokounmpo will open next season in Milwaukee, since trade requests often don’t come this early in the offseason. When Giannis’ current teammate Damian Lillard asked out of Portland in 2023, for example, it happened on July 1.

Still, I wouldn’t necessarily expect Antetokounmpo to wait that long to make a final decision — the further we get into June without a trade request, the better the Bucks have to feel about the odds of it not happening at all this summer.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

During that same Get Up appearance (YouTube link), Windhorst confirmed that a Kevin Durant trade is far more likely to happen this offseason than a deal involving Antetokounmpo. He added that the Knicks are among a “handful” of teams expected to talk to the Suns about Durant, but cautioned that salary-matching and tax-apron rules will make it difficult for them to acquire Durant without including Karl-Anthony Towns. Reporting out of Phoenix last week suggested the Suns aren’t enthusiastic about trading for Towns.
Within an in-depth article exploring the Spurs‘ options with the No. 2 overall pick and considering whether it makes sense to add Dylan Harper to a backcourt that already features De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports cites sources who say San Antonio has explored the idea of packaging its second lottery pick (No. 14) with a player to upgrade its roster.
With Darius Garland trade rumors percolating, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required) evaluates what a deal involving the point guard might look like for the Cavaliers, discussing three separate hypothetical trades in which Cleveland acquires Jalen Suggs and Tristan Da Silva (from Orlando), Jaden McDaniels, Donte DiVincenzo, and Terrence Shannon (from Minnesota), or Trey Murphy, Kelly Olynyk, and Jose Alvarado (from New Orleans). Fedor also briefly discusses Sacramento’s reported interest in Garland, but suggests it’s not easy to find a match with the Kings.

Kings Reportedly Have Interest In Darius Garland

June 10th, 2025 at 9:21am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings, who are in the market for a point guard after trading De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio in February, have interest in Darius Garland and consider the Cavaliers guard a possible trade target, league sources tell Grant Afseth of RG.org.

Following the deadline deal that sent Fox to the Spurs, the Kings leaned more heavily on shooting guards and forwards like Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Malik Monk for ball-handling responsibilities, with reserve point guards like Devin Carter and Markelle Fultz playing limited roles.

Bolstering the point guard spot will be a priority for Sacramento this offseason, as new head of basketball operations Scott Perry acknowledged earlier this spring. Tyus Jones is among the free agents believed to be on the Kings’ radar, but the trade market would give the front office more avenues to acquire an impact player at the position.

Multiple reports since the Cavs’ season ended have indicated that Cleveland appears to be more willing than in the past to entertain the idea of trading Garland this offseason. However, the 25-year-old underwent toe surgery on Monday and is expected to miss some time at the start of next season.

For the Cavs, finding a Garland trade that improves their roster – or at least doesn’t hurt it – while creating a more favorable cap situation going forward was always going to be difficult. His recovery from surgery will make that task even more challenging, since potential trade partners are unlikely to value him quite as highly until he’s back to 100%.

League sources tell RG.org that the Kings and Hawks have also had a conversation about what a Trae Young trade might look like, but those talks didn’t advance. Afseth describes the discussions as “due diligence” from Atlanta’s side and suggests that Perry wasn’t especially enthusiastic about the construct of the deal.

While Young has some fans in Sacramento’s front office, Afseth writes, the team is thought to prefer Garland over the Hawks star, at least prior to Garland’s surgery.

Cavs’ Darius Garland Undergoes Toe Surgery

June 9th, 2025 at 12:54pm CST by Luke Adams

12:54 pm: Garland will likely miss some time at the start of the 2025/26 season, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

12:32 pm: Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland underwent surgery on Monday to repair the great toe injury that hampered him in the postseason, according to a press release from the team. The procedure was performed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

According to the Cavaliers, Garland’s status will be “updated as appropriate” in approximately four or five months, following a progression of treatment and rehabilitation. While that statement suggests Garland’s availability for the start of the season is in doubt, the team’s announcement also says he’s expected to make a full recovery and resume basketball activities before training camp begins.

Given that those two timelines contradict one another, Garland’s recovery process will be worth monitoring in the coming months. Either way, it sounds like he’ll spend the entire offseason recovering from the procedure and doing rehab work on his toe.

Garland’s injury, which the Cavs referred to as a left great toe sprain, sidelined him for the final two games of the team’s first-round series vs. Miami and the first two games of the second-round series vs. Indiana.

Although he was able to return for Game 3 and played in the final three games of Cleveland’s season, the 25-year-old didn’t look like his usual self, making just 13-of-38 shots from the floor (34.2%), including 3-of-18 three-pointers (16.7%), and racking up as many turnovers as assists (12 apiece).

During the regular season, Garland was a key reason why the Cavs won a conference-high 64 games. He averaged 20.6 points and 6.7 assists per night with a career-high 47.2% mark on shots from the floor. His 75 games played also represented a career high.

Multiple reports since the Cavs were eliminated have indicated that the club might be more willing than in the past to entertain the idea of trading Garland this offseason. However, Cleveland is unlikely to move him unless the front office can find a deal that improves the roster – or at least doesn’t hurt it – while creating a more favorable cap situation going forward. Extracting that sort of value figures to be more difficult now that Garland is recovering from a surgical procedure.

Southeast Notes: Magic, Jaquez, Battier, Hornets

June 9th, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Magic may be in the market for a play-making guard this summer, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line suggests in a Substack column (subscription required). Fischer reports that Orlando had “real interest” in De’Aaron Fox before Sacramento agreed to trade him to San Antonio in February, although there were never substantial conversations about Fox between the Magic and Kings. Fischer also states that Orlando looked at Malik Monk before he re-signed with Sacramento last summer.

A report emerged over the weekend that the Cavaliers are listening to offers for Darius Garland. However, sources tell Fischer that Cleveland and Orlando haven’t seriously discussed Garland, and the Cavs would be reluctant to help an Eastern Conference rival. Fischer mentions Celtics guard Jrue Holiday as a possibility, along with Fred VanVleet, although he hears that the Rockets intend to keep him on their roster for next season.

Fischer also raises the possibility that the Magic could make smaller trades and decline whatever options are necessary to qualify for the $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception. That could be used to pursue Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, whom Orlando has been identified as a potential suitor for.

In addition, Fischer lists the Magic as a team that could try to move up in the draft for a late lottery selection. Orlando holds picks No. 16 and 25 and already has 15 players on standard contracts for next season, although that could change by declining team options on Moritz Wagner ($11MM) and Gary Harris ($7.5MM).

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Second-year Heat forward Jaime Jaquez got a taste of the NBA Finals on Sunday while working as a media member for the league’s digital and social media outlets under the Player Correspondent Program, per Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. “I’m thinking I want to be here, but not as a correspondent,” Jaquez said during a media event. “That’s what I’m thinking, as a player.”
Former Heat player and executive Shane Battier addressed the end of his playing career and a number of other topics in an appearance on the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, relays Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Battier, 46, left the team in 2021 to pursue other interests. “My last year (as a player), when I was told without being told that our best chance of winning doesn’t include you Shane,” Battier recalled. “When (coach Erik Spoelstra) started to sit me in the fourth quarter, nothing was worse to me than sitting me in crunch time because that was my identity.”
Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer examines recent No. 4 picks to get an idea of what the Hornets can expect with that selection in this year’s draft.

Windhorst: Cavs Listening To Offers For Darius Garland

June 7th, 2025 at 9:44am CST by Rory Maher

Appearing on 850 ESPN Cleveland (Twitter video link), ESPN insider Brian Windhorst said the Cavaliers are listening to trade offers for point guard Darius Garland and are “open-minded” about the possibility of moving him if it improves their roster.

“The interesting thing about the Cavs is a year ago, there was some belief that Darius Garland may want to get traded,” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM). “That was definitely out there, that if Donovan (Mitchell) extended his contract then maybe Darius would want to get traded. And the message that was very hard out there, (president of basketball operations) Koby (Altman) was on the record I’m pretty sure even saying, ‘We’re not trading Darius Garland.’

“A year later, I think there’s some belief that Darius Garland might be available under the right circumstances,” Windhorst continued. “And I don’t think Darius Garland wants to go anywhere. I think Darius Garland is very happy with how things have developed in Cleveland and he really likes it, he likes the role that he’s got.

“But I think the Cavs are listening and open-minded without actively trying to think that they need to change their roster.”

In a separate podcast appearance with ESPN Cleveland’s Chris Oldach (YouTube link), Windhorst clarified that the Cavaliers are concerned about the roster-building restrictions of being a second-apron team, which is why they’re active in trade talks.

“What I’m trying to say here is that executing a significant trade is going to be hard for them,” Windhorst said. “They’re definitely open to it. I definitely think they’re willing to discuss options. I think last year, ironically, when they were coming off a quote-unquote more questionable season, they were much less interested in adjusting and listening to options than they are now.

“Talking to teams out there, I think the Cavs are much more open-minded regardless of what Koby said. However, it’s not that they’re open-minded necessarily because they think this team needs to be renovated. They’re open-minded because they realize once the second apron comes a lot of doors get closed.

“... I think they’re active without being aggressive,” Windhorst added.

Windhorst’s reporting is more or less confirmation of what Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com recently reported, that the Cavaliers are more open to entertaining offers for Garland and Jarrett Allen than they have been in the past, though Windhorst didn’t explicitly mention Allen by name.

Garland, 25, made his second All-Star appearance in 2024/25, averaging 20.6 points, 6.7 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals on .472/.401/.878 shooting in a career-best 75 regular season games (30.7 minutes per contest). However, he aggravated a toe injury in Cleveland’s first-round sweep of Miami, wound up missing four playoff games, and was hindered in his return to the court during the Cavs’ second-round loss to Indiana.