A May report from The Athletic suggested that if Donovan Mitchell were to sign a contract extension this offseason, Darius Garland‘s agent Rich Paul was expected to have a conversation with the Cavaliers about possibly finding a new home for his client. However, even though Mitchell signed his extension, Garland is uninterested in initiating that conversation, as he told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link).
“I don’t want to be traded,” Garland said. “Those are just rumors.”
Sources tell Fedor that Paul and Cavaliers head of basketball operations Koby Altman have spoken this offseason, but there has been no indication that Garland’s camp is seeking a change of scenery, and the team has made it clear it has no interest in moving the former All-Star.
According to Fedor, Garland was thrilled for Mitchell when his backcourt mate signed a lucrative new deal with Cleveland and was excited about the team’s hiring of Kenny Atkinson as its new head coach.
Garland has been in Las Vegas participating in some on-court workouts and meeting with Atkinson — during a dinner on Friday, the two men discussed offensive schemes and sets, as well as the 24-year-old’s role, Fedor notes.
“It sounds really good,” Garland said. “A lot of spacing and a lot of room for me and Don and all of the other guys to be able to thrive.”
Atkinson, who has spoken about Garland in glowing terms since being hired in Cleveland, shares his point guard’s enthusiasm.
“I can’t wait to work with them,” Atkinson said of the Cavs’ star guards. “I was a point guard and that’s the quarterback. Those guys are running the show and it’s such a huge position in this league. I identity with them. Huge fan of Darius. Always been a fan. Underrated. Underrated passer. I don’t think he gets enough credit for the feel. Then, Donovan we all know, he’s the real deal. The great ones have a different type of work ethic. He’s wired a little bit differently.”
Garland had a down year in 2023/24, as his averages of 18.0 PPG and 6.5 APG and his .446/.371/.834 shooting line were all below his career rates. But that was less about sharing the ball with Mitchell and more about other a handful of other factors, including a fractured jaw and the weight loss that resulted from drinking out of a straw for over a month. Garland’s grandmother also passed away, according to Fedor, which led to him leaving the team on off days multiple times.
“It was a lot,” Garland told Fedor. “Sometimes you just have to go through it. Always bumps in the road. This was a big speed bump. It was really tough last year. It was definitely a learning experience for me. Just tried to stay mentally locked in and tried to keep my head up and keep a smile on my face. I just had to stay mentally strong while going through a tough time in my life and having to fight adversity.”