The Cleveland Cavaliers have found a replacement, prompting them to trade one of their best players to the Sacramento Kings.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are in a great position to make the NBA Finals this season. The Cavaliers have a strong roster, so there is little competition in the Eastern Conference.
Last season, the Cavaliers defied expectations and won over 60 games to earn the No. 1 seed in the East.
However, the Indiana Pacers suffered a disappointing loss in the second round, leaving a pretty bad impression. With the losses of the Pacers and Boston Celtics, the Cavaliers have a clear path.
However, one anonymous NBA executive believes they will need to make a bold trade involving an All-Star in order to reach the NBA Finals.
An anonymous NBA executive spoke with Ashish Mathur of Cavs Roundtable and proposed a controversial trade to take the Cleveland Cavaliers to the next level.
He thinks the Cavaliers should trade Darius Garland for Malik Monk and salary filler and replace him with Lonzo Ball in the starting lineup.
“I think they need to trade Darius. That backcourt is too small for him and Donovan (Mitchell).
“I love the Lonzo (Ball) trade. If I were Kenny (Atkinson), I would start Lonzo, Donovan, DeAndre (Hunter), Evan (Mobley), Jarrett (Allen) and trade Darius.”
“Sacramento was interested in him before they acquired Dennis (Schroder) from Detroit. Maybe we’ll give them a call and see if they want Darius like Malik (Monk) or a salary filler.”
It’s hard to believe this proposal comes from a place of sincerity on the part of this NBA executive. Trading a multiple-time All-Star for an injury-prone guard is a stupid idea.
Why would the Cavaliers break up a successful backcourt and trade Garland, as well as Lonzo Ball, a player who missed more than two seasons before returning last year?
Plus, even if they accepted a trade for Garland, why would they let him go for an aging Malik Monk and salary filler?
Trading Garland only makes sense if it’s done to acquire a better star, or if there’s a young star ready to replace Garland.
The Cavaliers should ignore this suggestion because neither is true. Garland is similar to Kyrie Irving and could become a star on that level in the next few years. It’s not time to give up on him yet.