The Los Angeles Lakers are already the subject of multiple trade rumors as GM Rob Pelinka seeks to retool this contender. Guard Darius Garland has been reported as a possible target, and his team appears to be looking for a way out of Cleveland if the Cavaliers go all in on developing around Donovan Mitchell.
Garland makes a lot of sense for LA, but he isn’t the only one expressing early interest this offseason.
According to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, the New Orleans Pelicans are a contender in the Garland sweepstakes. Apparently, the two parties held trade talks somewhere during the 2023-24 season, and Clark said, “Expect those talks to resume this summer.”
Clark no longer makes a direct route between Garland and New Orleans. However, he observes that the Pelicans are very interested in signing a leading guard who can take over the scoring load if Brandon Ingram goes, and the fact that he mentioned negotiations between the Pelicans and Cavaliers clearly indicates at the 2021-22 All-Star as one possible target.
Garland is sure to have multiple suitors this offseason as he considers leaving Cleveland. While he posted a disappointing 18.0 points and 6.5 assists in 2023-24, he demonstrated his potential prior to Mitchell’s arrival by averaging a career-high 21.7 PPG and 8.6 APG in 2021-22.
Garland’s combination of good scoring and playmaking makes him an excellent match in Los Angeles. He’d be a viable third scoring option alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, as well as a playmaker for those two superstars.
The Lakers will be seeking for a powerful playmaking guard who can easily score on his own this summer, and Garland is luckily only one of them.
