At first, reports about Darius Garland’s exit focused on financial matters, but later the real reason emerged: discontent with teammate Donovan Mitchell. Ironically, the LA Clippers newest player’s first appearance was against his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Even though he was sidelined from the on-court action, he did not sidestep the media questions about his departure.

“Yeah, I knew about it. It wasn’t a shock,” said Garland when asked about his reaction to hearing his name in the trade rumors. “Oh, I knew, it wasn’t a shock though. It’s the business of basketball. As I said earlier, Cleveland was great to my family and me, and I have respect for all those guys over there in the organization.

I got a lot of love for everybody over there, but basketball is a business, and that’s part of it. Seven years was a really long time, and it was great, and I’m glad I’m here now. It’s a new journey, the next chapter in my book. Let’s see where it’s going to take me.”

Rumors have also suggested that Garland’s move was anticipated for some time. In fact, his agent, Rich Paul, recently revealed that plans to exit Cleveland were before the season.

“In the upcoming [2025-26] season, I sat Darius down and explained to him that this was going to be his last year with the Cavs,” Paul told Max Kellerman, “Very matter-of-fact, because I do things very black and white.” The owner of Klutch Sports stated that there were “a number of reasons” for Paul to reach his conclusion. In fact, Darius Garland’s agent also spoke with the Cavs’ President of Basketball Operations.

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I said, ‘Kobe, listen, this is what it’s going to be.’ I understand the hope is that they go out, have a great year, and try to contend, but anything short of a championship run means there has to be a change.” Even though the Cavaliers had a 64-18 record last season, which marked one of the greatest regular seasons in franchise history, they ultimately failed in the playoffs.

Considering that Garland admitted he knew about the trade, two months ago, reports emerged of him looking to move out of Donovan Mitchell’s shadow in Cleveland. Before Mitchell joined the Cavaliers ahead of the 2022-23 season, Darius Garland was Cleveland’s sole superstar. He had earned his first All-Star nod just a season before Mitchell’s arrival.

Did Donovan Mitchell plot Darius Garland’s exit?

NBA insider Kevin O’Connor sheds some light on the fact that “Cavs players in the locker room didn’t trust Garland.” In fact, he added that not just players but even the front office was unhappy with Garland being in and out of the lineup. “There’s a sense that he wasn’t doing everything possible to prevent injury.” Then came the issue with Donovan Mitchell.

“Hearing that although it was fine personally between Mitchell and Garland, that neither of them enjoyed playing together,” Brian Geltzeiler of Sirius XM NBA Radio reported in a post on X. “Wondering (how) much Mitchell will enjoy playing with Harden. With that said, he has a parachute this offseason if this backcourt doesn’t work for him.”

Another rumor also suggested that Donovan Mitchell specifically asked for James Harden. As Rich Paul stated, he foresaw the issues, so he advised his client, Darius Garland, and the Cavaliers to find a solution. Which they did, as James Harden now begins his new stint in Cleveland in a bid for his first championship.