The Cleveland Cavaliers are entering the NBA offseason much sooner than most expected after falling to the Indiana Pacers in a five-game Eastern Conference semifinals set. This could be great news for the Orlando Magic, because the Cavs just so happen to employ one of their ideal trade targets: Darius Garland.
Postseason disappointments don’t have to result in seismic changes. Both the Cavs and Magic, from last year, are living proof. People were clamoring for Cleveland to bust up the Core Four of Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. The band stayed together, and the Cavs ripped off an epic 64-win regular season that left many wondering whether they should be favorites to make the NBA Finals.
Still, this is now Year 3 of the Core Four era. Not only have they yet to make the conference finals, but they’ve won a combined two second-round games during this span. Material change could be on the menu this offseason, and Orlando should be ready to pounce.
Darius Garland is exactly what the Orlando Magic need
The Magic's most glaring needs are no secret following their first-round exit at the hands of the reigning champion Boston Celtics: floor-spacing, playmaking, and general offensive advantage creation top their to-do list.
Garland checks all of those boxes. He isn't coming off the most efficient playoff performance, having drilled under 29 percent of his threes. But he was clearly hampered by a big toe injury. His regular-season efforts are more indicative of who he is, and what he can do.
Nikola Jokic—yes that Nikola Jokic—was the only other player who averaged at least 20 points and five assists while downing over 50 percent of his twos and 40 percent of his threes. Garland's usage en route to this stat line is arguably even more intriguing. He is not someone who needs to dominate the ball. Just over 42 percent of his made baskets came off assists, and he shot the lights out on spot-up three-pointers.
You'd be hard-pressed to build a better star complement to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner than this. Sure, Garland is on the slighter end. The Magic have the size and defensive talent to implement him. Juicing the offense is also more important than avoiding a couple of concessions at the other end. The talent around Banchero, specifically, this past season ranked in the 39th percentile of self-created shot efficiency, as well as the 0th percentile of catch-and-shoot three-point efficiency, according to BBall Index.
Garland's salary structure only adds to his appeal. He is owed $126.5 million over the next three years, during which time he'll never account for more than 25.5 percent of the cap. The math will get tight as the Magic pay everyone else, including the extension-eligible Banchero this summer. But Garland's number is far more workable than targeting someone like Jamal Murray or Trae Young.
Will Darius Garland actually be available?
Pursuing Garland remains a no-brainer. Figuring out whether he’ll be available is a different story.
Mitchell told the media “We’ll be back” following Cleveland’s latest second-round exit. He’s not necessarily wrong. The Cavs can talk themselves into being a bad injury break or two away from emerging from the East.
The fact of the matter is, though, they aren’t coming out of the East. Their season ended early, again. And with second-apron concerns on the horizon, the front office might decide to reorient the roster around Mitchell himself, a path that takes a long, hard look at whether they want two smaller guards in the backcourt, in addition to whether the dual-big model is worth keeping together.
Orlando needs to bank on that introspection leading to action. Hashing out a straight-up deal could be tough, unless Cleveland is smitten with Jalen Suggs, or the prospect of cheaper contracts and draft equity.
Failing that, the groundwork for three- and four-team is pretty straightforward. Maybe the Cavs decide to make a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo, in which case the Magic would be negotiating with the suddenly rebuilding Bucks. Perhaps Cleveland tries to pry Jaylen Brown out of Boston following the league-altering Jayson Tatum injury, and then, perhaps, the Celtics are open to rerouting Garland elsewhere while they journey through a gap year.
Look, none of this is easy. Garland’s exit isn’t especially likely. But it’s far more plausible with the Cavs bowing out in five games against Indiana. For their part, the Magic should be monitoring this possibility, however slim, in a way that verges on obsession. Garland is that perfect of a fit.
Dan Favale is a Senior NBA Contributor for FanSided and National NBA Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky (@danfavale), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes.