Darius Garland's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (groin) won't play on Wednesday against the Pelicans. The 24-year-old is coming off a rough showing in Tuesday's loss to the Boston Celtics, finishing with only eight points off 3-for-21 shooting from the field. But he'll be sidelined versus New Orleans because of groin soreness, meaning his next chance to play will be on Sunday versus the Toronto Raptors. With the Cavs also down Caris LeVert (knee), Sam Merrill (ankle), Isaac Okoro (ankle), Max Strus (ankle), and Dean Wade (ankle), Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley could each see an uptick in fantasy production. The same can be said Georges Niang, Ty Jerome, and Craig Porter Jr.

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland has denied that he wanted to be traded in the offseason. Speaking during Monday's Media Day, Garland said the trade rumors were "definitely false" and that Cavaliers president Koby Altman was upset about what was being said and wanted Garland to remain with the organization. With the trade rumors squashed, Garland can now focus on producing a bounce-back campaign. His numbers dropped across the board in 2023-24 as Garland struggled to stay healthy. He managed to make only 57 appearances during the regular season. The 2022 All-Star has hit 60-plus games just twice during his five-year NBA career, and Garland's health is definitely something to consider for fantasy managers.

According to Ashish Mathur of Hoops Wire, the New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs tried to trade for Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland. Although Mathur didn't get into the details of each offer, it's apparent it wasn't enough. The Cavaliers made moves this offseason to bolster the roster for years, specifically, giving new deals to Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. However, Garland's future with the Cavaliers is far from guaranteed. The 24-year-old has spent his entire career in Cleveland since entering the NBA in 2019. He finished last season by averaging 18.0 points, 6.5 assists, and 1.3 steals. While some of those averages are a dip from the 2022-23 campaign, Garland has at least kept himself with the club. He could still be one of the first players traded if things fall apart for the Cavaliers, impacting his fantasy value. But outside of that, Garland's inability to stay healthy remains the most significant issue for fantasy managers, considering he's logged fewer than 60 games in three of his first five years in the league.