Koby Altman denied reports that the Cavaliers are frustrated about the health issues of Garland which led to the James Harden trade.
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Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman set the record straight about the reported frustrations the franchise had with Darius Garland that led to the star guard's eventual departure ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline.
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Addressing the media, Altman vehemently dismissed the speculations that the Cavs have grown disgruntled about Garland's inactivity issues throughout the season.
"I don’t want to curse. It’s BS," Altman said. "We would have been perfectly happy having Darius return to this roster after the deadline if this opportunity didn’t arise. This was not something — and you know this very well — certainly not marketing Darius Garland around the league, right? This was not someone that was available or someone we were trying to move.
"This became an opportunity that we exercised."
In the blink of an eye, Garland finds himself now in the Los Angeles Clippers as he was dealt by the Cavaliers for James Harden.
Reports surfaced that the Cavaliers were frustrated about how Garland became more injured, as they also perceived that he didn't seriously manage his health.
Garland's injury spell began in the final portion of the 2024-25 season, in which he sustained a left big toe injury that ultimately forced him to undergo offseason surgery.
The 26-year-old went on to miss the start of the 2025-26 season as he continued his recovery. Due to another toe injury in his right foot, He hasn't played since Feb. 4 and has missed the last 10 games for the Cavs before he was eventually dealt to the Clippers.
Garland only appeared in 26 games so far this season, averaging 18.0 points, 6.9 assists and 2.4 rebounds.
"He was getting back to a high level of play when he got hurt in that Philly game. We’ve had him for seven years. He’s a great worker. He has a great attitude. And so when you hear stuff like that, it’s not fair to Darius and it’s not true. He’s invested a lot in his own rehab. If you went to his home, you’d see all the modalities he’s invested in to become the healthiest version of himself — using his own money, getting his own chef, his nutrition, all of it. This is him investing in his body," Altman further argued.
"That’s the thing people don’t understand. He cares. He truly, truly cares. So I appreciate someone asking that question so we can address that. That stuff is just categorically false."
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