Rival Clubs Monitor Darius Garland as Cavaliers Struggle Early
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League scouts and front-office executives are increasingly studying the Cleveland Cavaliers’ roster, believing president of basketball operations Koby Altman could weigh significant changes if the team stumbles again in the postseason, according to several people familiar with the situation.
Point guard Darius Garland is the player other teams mention most often in trade conversations, sources said.
Frustration after home loss
The scrutiny intensified after Saturday’s 118-113 defeat to a Golden State squad missing Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green. Cleveland fielded its full core of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Garland, yet let a winnable game slip away on its home floor.
Two days later, Cleveland.com reporter Chris Fedor described the Cavaliers’ locker room as “quiet and somber,” noting players appeared dejected and aware the setback could not be easily dismissed.
Record lags behind expectations
Cleveland is 14-11, a pace far off last season’s 64-win campaign. If the playoffs began today, the club would occupy the No. 8 seed and face a play-in scenario. Advanced metrics remain respectable, but not at the level projected for a roster built around Garland, Mitchell, Mobley and Jarrett Allen, a quartet that has yet to advance beyond the second round.
Garland, still regaining rhythm after offseason toe surgery, is viewed by rival evaluators as the pivotal asset should Altman decide a reset is necessary. Internally, the Cavaliers maintain confidence that time remains to correct course, but around the league, speculation will persist until wins start accumulating again.
Source: Hoops Wire
