Even before the James Harden trade happened, Paul already told Garland that this 2025-26 season would be his last year as a Cavalier.
In the wake of the James Harden-Darius Garland blockbuster swap, Rich Paul revealed that the departure of the new LA Clippers star was already bound to happen since the start.
Paul, who currently serves as Garland's agent, revealed in the latest segment of his Game Over podcast that he told the star guard that this 2025-26 would be his last as a Cleveland Cavalier.
"In the upcoming [2025-26] season, I sat Darius down and explained to him that this was going to be his last year with the Cavs," Paul told Max Kellerman, "Very matter-of-fact, because I do things very black and white. I told him that’s just the way it was going to be, for a number of reasons that take too long to get into, but that was my foresight.
"I also had a conversation with Kobe Altman, who runs the Cavs, and I said, 'Kobe, listen, this is what it’s going to be.' I understand the hope is that they go out, have a great year, and try to contend, but anything short of a championship run means there has to be a change."
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