CLEVELAND, Ohio - After another disappointing playoff exit, the Cavs face serious questions about their roster construction.
One hypothetical trade proposal has the approval of veteran cleveland.com columnist Terry Pluto.
The exchange came during the latest Terry’s Talkin’ podcast when host David Campbell mentioned a trade framework floated by Cavs beat writer Chris Fedor to subscribers to the cleveland.com Cavs Subtext account. The trade Fedor pieced together would send Garland to Orlando for a package including Suggs and Tristan da Silva.
Pluto’s response: “I do it yesterday.”
The idea of the deal might surprise some Cavaliers fans who have watched Garland develop into an All-Star guard. However, Pluto says Suggs could bring size and more defensive presence to the Cavs backcourt.
“I love Jalen Suggs,” Pluto explained. “I wanted him, I rated him over Evan Mobley in the draft. Of course I was wrong on that. But I will tell you, Jalen Suggs in the same backcourt with Donovan is a better fit. He’s tough-minded.”
At 6-foot-5, Suggs would also give the Cavs additional length in the backcourt.
Pluto acknowledged his long-standing worries about the Mitchell-Garland backcourt.
“I’ve struggled,” Pluto said. “You know we’ve had talking about this David, for quite a while. My. That combination with Donovan and Garland, I just have struggled with it come playoff time and I, I still am.”
Suggs’ injury history includes back spasms and knee cartilage issues that limited his availability, but when Pluto was asked if he’d still be OK with the deal, he said, “Yeah, because I’m trading a guy who has injuries.”
Garland has battled his own availability issues, including a broken jaw last season and the toe injury that sidelined him during the Cavs’ playoff elimination against Indiana.
From Orlando’s perspective, Pluto noted, “I do know this from the Orlando end. They would be interested in Garland because they can’t score 100 points.”
The Magic have built an impressive defensive identity but lack the offensive creativity Garland could provide.
“Mark me down,” Pluto said about how he’d feel about the deal.
Listen to the full episode of Terry’s Talkin’ where Terry Pluto breaks down his vision for reshaping the Cavs’ roster after another playoff disappointment.
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