The Cleveland Cavaliers, a franchise renowned in recent seasons for their regular-season prowess, find themselves at a crossroads as the 2025-26 NBA campaign unfolds. After years of consistency and high seeding in the Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers have stumbled out of the gates, holding a 17-14 record and occupying the seventh seed as of December 25, 2025. For a team accustomed to sitting comfortably among the conference elite, this middling start has kicked up a storm of speculation, rumors, and soul-searching in northeast Ohio.
Central to the Cavaliers’ current drama is the future of Darius Garland, their dynamic 25-year-old point guard and former fifth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Once heralded as the team’s future floor general, Garland now finds himself at the heart of swirling trade rumors and questions about his long-term fit alongside All-NBA guard Donovan Mitchell. The Cavaliers’ backcourt, which showed so much promise just last season, now faces scrutiny from fans, analysts, and, reportedly, from within NBA front offices.
According to Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal, there’s a growing perception in NBA circles that Garland is eager to return to a starring, lead-guard role—one where he can orchestrate an offense as the primary option, rather than serve as a complementary piece next to Mitchell. Afseth wrote, “The intel from some NBA teams is a perception that Garland would like to run his own team again at some point, as opposed to being in a more complementary role next to [Donovan] Mitchell.” That’s a sentiment echoed by league insiders, who have reportedly labeled Garland as “the safest option on the trade market for a team seeking a point guard upgrade.”
It’s not hard to see why rival teams are circling. Garland, despite a rocky start to the current season, boasts an All-Star pedigree and is still viewed as a player with significant upside. His ability to control tempo, create for teammates, and score from all three levels makes him an attractive target for franchises looking to inject youth and playmaking into their backcourt. As one source told Afseth, “There are teams who think he can handle more being put on his plate.”
But for Cleveland, the decision is anything but straightforward. Trading Garland now, amid a slump and while he’s still working his way back from injury, could mean selling low on a player who has been instrumental in the franchise’s recent success. The Cavaliers’ struggles this season haven’t been solely on Garland’s shoulders. Defensive lapses have been apparent since his return, but critics are quick to point out that the backcourt pairing with Mitchell has always demanded strong complementary pieces—especially on the wings and in the frontcourt—to mask defensive shortcomings and maximize offensive firepower.
The 2024-25 season offered a glimpse of what the Garland-Mitchell duo could accomplish. Garland thrived in a floor general role, orchestrating the offense while Mitchell shouldered the scoring load. The chemistry was there, and the results suggested a backcourt with plenty of room to grow. Yet, the current campaign has been less convincing. The Cavaliers have dropped games to shorthanded opponents—most notably a loss to the Golden State Warriors without Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler—and suffered a stinging 16-point defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bulls. Such setbacks have only amplified calls for change, both from inside and outside the organization.
Shams Charania, appearing on ESPN on December 18, 2025, provided further fuel for the rumor mill, noting that only Donovan Mitchell and rising star Evan Mobley are considered “untouchable” in trade talks. This revelation has left Garland’s name circulating freely among trade speculators, with the Cavaliers reportedly fielding “a ton” of calls on their players. For a team in need of a spark, Garland represents both a potential trade chip and a symbol of the difficult choices facing the franchise.
It’s a no-win scenario, some argue. Trading Garland now could be seen as scapegoating him for the Cavaliers’ broader issues—a move that might not address the underlying roster construction challenges. Others believe that a bold shake-up is exactly what Cleveland needs to avoid a lost season and reignite their playoff ambitions. “If the Cavaliers feel like the team is stagnating, and they need to make a desperate move to shake up their fortunes, breaking up the backcourt of Garland and Mitchell seems like the best way to do it,” one league observer noted.
Still, patience may be the wisest course. Several analysts insist that any move involving Garland should wait until the offseason, when the market for a young, All-Star-caliber point guard could be at its peak. Rushing into a deal mid-season, especially with Garland’s value potentially depressed by recent struggles, risks failing to secure a fair return. It would also deny the Cavaliers a proper opportunity to reset and retool around their core. As one report summarized, “Trading away the All-Star point guard right now would hardly give the Cavaliers a proper opportunity to reset. They would only be selling low on a player who has brought a ton of success to the franchise.”
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers’ front office faces mounting pressure to make changes. Offseason moves—some say—have negatively impacted the team’s outlook, and the NBA recently fined the franchise $100,000 for violating a league policy against the Miami Heat. The locker room dynamic remains in flux, with Donovan Mitchell stepping up to defend his embattled teammate after a hard-fought victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Mitchell, who recently tied an NBA record previously only accomplished by Michael Jordan, continues to serve as both a leader and a lightning rod for the team’s fortunes.
Amid all the speculation, one thing is clear: the Cavaliers’ window to contend remains open, but the margin for error is shrinking. The Eastern Conference is as competitive as ever, and with the trade deadline looming, Cleveland must weigh the risks and rewards of shaking up its roster. Garland’s future—whether as the Cavaliers’ lead guard or as a centerpiece in a blockbuster deal—will be one of the defining storylines of the NBA’s midseason drama.
For now, the Cavaliers are left to navigate the choppy waters of a challenging season, hoping that their talented core can rediscover the magic that made them contenders just months ago. The front office’s next move could shape the franchise for years to come, and all eyes in Cleveland—and across the league—are watching closely as the saga unfolds.
