We could’ve seen the last game of the Garland and Mitchell pairing.
Donovan Mitchell will determine how the offseason plays out for the Cleveland Cavaliers. According to The Athletic, this could affect Darius Garland’s future in Cleveland.
Furthermore, rival executives believe the Cavs will have to seriously evaluate the fit of Mitchell and Garland and ultimately may have to choose one or the other. Should Mitchell decide to stay long term, sources briefed on the matter say Garland’s representation, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, would have a conversation with Cavs officials on potentially finding a new home for the one-time All-Star.
The Mitchell and Garland pairing has always worked better on paper than it has in reality. Garland had a nightmare campaign. He averaged 18 points and 6.5 assists this season after averaging over 21.6 points and 7.8 assists last season and 21.7 points and 8.6 assists the year before that.
The duo performed well out of the gates last season but never found their footing after the disastrous playoff series against the New York Knicks. This past season started out bumpy for the team as a whole until Garland broke his jaw. Mitchell played arguably the best basketball of his career from December through the All-Star break. The majority of which was when Garland was off the floor.
Garland was never able to fit into a reduced role alongside Mitchell when he returned and didn’t easily transition back into a featured role when Mitchell was injured. This all adds up to each player potentially being better off without the other.
It’s fair to point out that the report doesn’t say that Garland will ask out if Mitchell re-signs. A conversation about potentially asking out isn’t a demand, but it does indicate the relationship isn’t on good ground. Additionally, there’s no guarantee that Mitchell extends in Cleveland this summer so this could all be a moot point.
Mitchell had repeatedly said throughout the season that he wanted the partnership between him and Garland to work.
“He’s an all-star guard,” Mitchell said about Garland after his injury in December. “We came and made this thing for us to be together. So it’s definitely not me versus him. That’s my brother, that’s my dog.”
But wanting something to work and actually having that play out on the court are two separate things. Through two years, it’s safe to say that neither accents the other the way that Koby Altman likely envisioned when he pushed all of his chips in for Mitchell.
This team will likely look very different next fall. It’s possible that Game 3 against the Boston Celtics was the last time both suited up in a Cavaliers’ uniform.
