Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland will miss at least the next four months after undergoing surgery to repair his left big toe.
The team confirmed the next update would be provided after a treatment and rehabilitation period of four to five months. Garland is expected to make a full recovery and resume basketball activities by the start of training camp.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Garland is likely to miss time to start the 2025-26 season.
Garland first suffered the injury on March 23 against the Utah Jazz. He played through pain in the playoffs, missing four postseason games. He was hobbling in Game 5 of the second round against the Indiana Pacers when the Cavs were eliminated.
The 25-year-old was a big miss for Cleveland against Indiana. Over 75 regular season games, Garland averaged 20.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.2 steals. He also shot 40.1 percent on 7.1 3-point attempts per game.
Cleveland has reportedly been open to listening to offers for him, even if it isn’t actively shopping him.
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) June 9, 2025
Critical Offseason Hangs In Balance For Cavaliers, Garland
One of the key issues the Cavs have to consider is if their starting backcourt is too small.
Assuming Cleveland finds a way to bring back Ty Jerome, it makes for a very small backcourt which can be exposed in a playoff setting. Having set the regular season alight, the goal has to be about making the roster more playoff durable.
If the Cavs are indeed listening to offers for Garland, it indicates they also recognize this weakness has been exposed. Garland is a wonderful player who many teams would like to have. It comes down to which teams have the right assets to make Cleveland believe a deal is worth making.
There has been speculation about a deal with the Orlando Magic making the most sense. It’s easy to see how a trade with Garland and Jalen Suggs as centerpieces could make a lot of sense for both teams. Cleveland gets a rugged defender whose offensive skills can be accentuated by the team’s offensive system. Orlando gets a much needed guard capable of dribble penetration and knocking down shots from the outside.
That is the type of deal Cleveland should be looking at. There may also be deals involving a star wing player that could be appealing. De’Andre Hunter was a nice addition at the trade deadline but has his limitations defensively.
It all makes for a fascinating summer in Cleveland.
