Cavs’ Darius Garland Placed 12th in HoopsHype Point-Guard Rankings; Jazz Outline Plan for Ace Bailey; Pelicans Add Jalen McDaniels
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Cleveland Cavaliers
All-Star guard Darius Garland landed at No. 12 on HoopsHype’s list of the NBA’s top 26 point guards, slotting ahead of Denver’s Jamal Murray but behind Boston’s Derrick White, Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey and San Antonio’s De’Aaron Fox. Garland, 25, finished in the top six of last season’s Clutch Player of the Year voting and helped Cleveland post a 64-18 regular-season record.
The ranking factored in Garland’s postseason dip, when he averaged 18.0 points on 42.0 percent shooting overall and 28.6 percent from three during the Cavaliers’ second-round loss to Indiana. An injured big toe, which required offseason surgery, also contributed to the slide. Garland is expected to miss the opening stretch of the 2025-26 campaign but is projected to return to near All-Star form upon full recovery.
Utah Jazz
Head coach Will Hardy said his primary objective for rookie forward Ace Bailey is helping the 6-foot-7 lottery pick establish a daily routine during his first year in the league. “The routine saves you during the season,” Hardy told the Salt Lake Tribune. Bailey was limited to two Summer League games because of a hip flexor injury, but Hardy praised the rookie’s energy, cutting and off-ball movement.
Offensively, Utah envisions Bailey working without the ball and exploiting his cutting ability, while defensively the focus will be on leveraging his length as he adds strength. Selected with the Jazz’s top pick in June, Bailey is expected to receive developmental minutes as the club continues its youth-driven rebuild.
New Orleans Pelicans
Free-agent forward Jalen McDaniels has agreed to join the Pelicans, leaving New Orleans with one open standard roster spot and roughly $4.2 million beneath the luxury-tax line. The 26-year-old appeared in four games for Washington last season and averaged 13.5 points and 7.2 rebounds across 38 outings with the G League’s Capital City Go-Go.
Entering his seventh NBA season, the 6-foot-9 wing has previously suited up for the Hornets, 76ers and Raptors, carving out a reputation as an athletic defender and rebounder who can stretch the floor. He will compete for minutes in a crowded Pelicans frontcourt.
Source: Hoops Wire
