Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers
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Darius Garland passes around KJ Martin of the Utah Jazz.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been a top performer in the Eastern Conference over the last few seasons.
But it hasn’t yet translated to postseason success.
Cleveland’s season has ended in the second round of the playoffs the last two years, and it’s fair to question if their core is built for a championship.
Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley are a terrifying presence in the paint, and De’Andre Hunter is one of the better three-and-D wings in basketball.
Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are a fierce offensive backcourt, but their size leaves more to be desired defensively.
Could the Cavaliers try and shake up their team ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season in hopes of better postseason success?
One NBA executive thinks they should, and even laid out a trade for them to make.
NBA Exec Says Cavs Should Acquire Kings’ Malik Monk
An anonymous NBA executive spoke to Roundtable and urged the Cleveland Cavaliers to ship out Garland for Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk.
“I think they need to trade Darius. That backcourt is too small with him and Donovan (Mitchell). I love the Lonzo (Ball) trade. If I were Kenny (Atkinson), I would start Lonzo, Donovan, De’Andre (Hunter), Evan (Mobley) and Jarrett (Allen) and trade Darius,” the executive said.
“Sacramento was interested in him before getting Dennis (Schroder) from Detroit. Maybe call them up and see if they want Darius for like Malik (Monk) and salary filler.”
Garland, Cleveland’s No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, has been a two-time All-Star for the Cavs.
But at a certain point, it does seem like they’ll have to choose between him and Mitchell.
The offensive output is great, but the defensive deficiencies cost them in the postseason.
Lonzo Ball, while not the most reliable health-wise, is a great defender and passer. He would complement Mitchell much better in Cleveland’s backcourt.
The addition of Monk would also fit perfectly for the Cavaliers.
Cleveland lost their Sixth Man this past offseason when Ty Jerome departed to sign with the Memphis Grizzlies.
The former Kentucky standout would instantly fill the void left behind by Jerome.
Would the Kings Make the Deal?
The Sacramento Kings are in desperate need of a point guard.
After trading De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs midseason last year, they were without a true floor general for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
They’ve tried to remedy that with the additions of Dennis Schröder and Russell Westbrook, but neither provides the upside that Garland would have in a potential trade.
The addition of the former Vanderbilt standout would provide Sacramento with a fairly formidable starting lineup.
Garland as the starting point guard flanked by Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis.
As for Monk, the Kings have been dangling him in trade talks all offseason.
When they were interested in acquiring Jonathan Kuminga, the offer on the table was Monk and a first-round pick, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
With the former Sixth Man of the Year runner-up already aware of his standing with the organization, it wouldn’t be hard to believe he would be open to a trade.