Darius Garland Reportedly Unlikely to be Traded to Magic by Cavs amid NBA Trade Rumors
The Cleveland Cavaliers potentially trading star point guard Darius Garland to the Orlando Magic isn't viewed as a likely outcome during the 2025 offseason, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer.
"For all the noise these days around Darius Garland in Cleveland, we’ve been reliably told that the Cavaliers and Magic have not held substantive conversations on a Garland deal … and that Cleveland has little interest in helping Orlando improve its standing in the Eastern Conference," Fischer reported Sunday.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst previously reported that there's "some belief" Garland "might be available under the right circumstances."
Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor also listed the Magic as a possible trade partner for the Cavaliers.
Orlando's need for a lead guard is clear. Although the Magic boast rising stars such as Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, they also ranked last in the league by averaging a mere 23.0 assists per game during the 2024-25 season.
As for Garland, he earned his second career All-Star nod in 2025 while recording 20.6 points and 6.7 assists per game on 47.2/40.1/87.8 shooting splits.
He suffered a toe injury near the end of Cleveland's first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat, which caused him to miss the first two games of the team's second-round matchup with the Indiana Pacers.
The Cavaliers lost both contests without Garland before they were eliminated by the Pacers in five games.
Cleveland is coming off a 64-18 finish in the regular season, but could make changes during the summer with the team currently set to enter the second apron of the luxury tax during the 2025-26 season (h/t Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports).
A trade involving Garland heading to the Magic doesn't seem to be on the horizon, though.
