Could the Lakers trade for Darius Garland this offseason?

While the rumors have circulated around Donovan Mitchell being the trade target for the Lakers, could his backcourt partner on the Cavaliers in Darius Garland be a target as well?

By multiple accounts, the Lakers are expected to go star-chasing this offseason. One of the names mentioned most often, alongside Trae Young, has been Donovan Mitchell.

The Cavaliers’ exit from the playoffs laid the groundwork for roster shakeup. All eyes darted to Mitchell, and for good reason. As he’s about to enter the final year of his contract, Cleveland is in a situation where they’ll look to sign him to an extension or deal him if he chooses not to remain with the franchise.

However, there’s another guard in Cleveland that could be available. If Mitchell decides to stay, it’s unlikely his partnership with Darius Garland will continue. As reported by Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, the Cavs will likely look to move Garland.

Furthermore, rival executives believe the Cavs will have to seriously evaluate the fit of Mitchell and Garland and ultimately may have to choose one or the other. Should Mitchell decide to stay long term, sources briefed on the matter say Garland’s representation, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, would have a conversation with Cavs officials on potentially finding a new home for the one-time All-Star.

First, when it comes to Mitchell, it certainly doesn’t seem like he’s upset with his current situation. In the aftermath of his team’s exit and reports about him surfacing, Mitchell called them out on Twitter.

If Mitchell stays, then, is there a chance the Lakers go after Garland? Well, the obvious connection, as noted from the excerpt above, is that he’s represented by Rich Paul and Klutch Sports.

The Lakers haven’t really been linked Garland in a trade, but they were heavily linked to him in the pre-draft process. The Lakers reportedly secretly worked him out when they had the No. 4 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, a pick they would eventually deal to the Pelicans. Garland called it an “honor” to play for the Lakers as well.

There are plenty of signs, then, that Garland, at least in the past, was interested in playing for the Lakers. Now, that matters little in a trade, but as we’ve repeatedly seen, if a player wants to force his way to a team, it typically happens.

Garland is a former All-Star, and while there are some concerns about him, like his size and recent drop in production, there’s also reason to believe his stats have been hindered by playing out of position alongside Mitchell of late.

Last season was also the first of a five-year extension Garland signed with the Cavs in 2022 after his All-Star season. There is also no option on the deal, which runs through the 2027-28 season in which he’ll make $44 million in his age-27 year.

In a trade, Garland would also command a much lower return than Mitchell and likely Young. The bigger hurdle would be matching his $36 million contract, but the Lakers would certainly have the assets to get it done.

For now, though, all of this is hypothetical. There’s been nothing to link the two sides since 2019. But if Mitchell commits long-term to the Cavs, don’t be surprised if the Lakers get involved with Garland.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.