NBA Trade Rumors: Cavaliers $197 Million Guard Deemed Must-Keep Asset Despite Eastern Conference Contender Battling PG Woes

NBA: Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers - Source: Imagn
Cavaliers discouraged to trade Darius Garland (Image Source: IMAGN)

The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking like a different team in the 2025-26 NBA season. Last year, they dominated the Eastern Conference and were arguably the best team. This year, however, Cleveland is 14-11, making them the eighth-best team in the East.

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Most of the team's struggles have been due to injuries, mainly to their starting point guard. Darius Garland has played only nine games this season, averaging 14.0 points and 6.2 assists. Garland has dealt with foot issues, which have kept him from being a consistent presence on the court.

Trade rumors have begun circulating about the Cavs, focusing on their backcourt. However, former NBA players Chandler Parsons, Lou Williams and DeMarcus Cousins said Cleveland shouldn't entertain the trade talks. The trio talked about the East team on Monday's episode of FanDuel TV's "Run It Back."

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“When he’s hurt, he kinda just gets — you don’t talk about him as much, I think this team takes a big hit,” Parsons said. “Do I think they trade him? I really don’t. I think he is the guy for the future.”

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Even Williams believes that the Cavaliers shouldn't worry about the All-Star guard.

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“Guys have to be able to go through the ups and downs without calling for their trade or something,” he said.
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Cousins urged Cleveland not to entertain any trade rumors about their starting guard. He expressed that there is no need to panic.

“There’s no need to trade him,” Cousins added. “Obviously, he hasn’t been healthy so the sample size is very, very small… It’s no time to panic, it’s no time to look to trade.”
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Cleveland wants to maximize the star guard, especially since he's in the middle of a five-year, $197.2 million contract extension. However, injuries have not been helpful for Garland's case, which has affected the team's performance.


The Cleveland Cavaliers were "dejected" after losing to the Golden State Warriors

The Cleveland Cavaliers had a tough 99-94 loss against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. The Warriors didn't have Steph Curry, Draymond Green or Jimmy Butler, but still overcame the East team. The Cavs, on the other hand, had Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley.

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Even with three star players, they couldn't overcome the Warriors. After the game, NBA insider Chris Fedor revealed that the Cavs' locker room was "dejected." Fedor talked about it on Sunday's episode of the "Wine and Gold" podcast.

“It was quiet,” Fedor said (Timestamp: 5:58). “It was somber. Players looked dejected..."
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The Warriors fired from everywhere with their outside shooting. Even with a healthy squad, the Cavaliers couldn't slow them down. Golden State shot 37.1%, while Cleveland made 23.8% of their 3-pointers.

Cleveland Cavaliers Nation! You can check out the latest Cleveland Cavaliers Schedule and dive into the Cavaliers Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Reign Amurao
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