Cleveland Cavaliers Guard Darius Garland Undergoes Surgery

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Throughout the Cavaliers’ playoff run, the biggest headline was the health of All-Star point guard Darius Garland. On March 23rd vs the Utah Jazz, Garland suffered a right big toe sprain.

He played through the injury through the rest of the regular season, and into their first playoff series vs the Miami Heat. Garland missed the final two games vs the Heat and the first two games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals vs the Indiana Pacers.

Garland returned to the Cavaliers lineup in Games 3-5, but was not himself, and the Cavaliers ultimately fell to the Pacers in 5 games, ending their season much earlier than anyone expected.

Garland, 25, became an All-Star for the second time in his career, posting 20.6 PPG, 2.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists on 47.2% shooting from the field and 40.1% from three in 75 games in the regular season.

These numbers took a huge nosedive in the playoffs as Garland nursed the toe sprain. He averaged 18 PPG, 2.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists on 42% shooting from the field and 28.6% from three.

Now, after the season has concluded, Garland has undergone surgery to repair his toe injury and will miss 4-5 months of action. This puts Garland on a timetable to return around October-November, which is when the 2025-2026 season will kick off.

Cleveland Cavaliers star Darius Garland underwent surgery to repair great toe injury and will be sidelined approximately 4 to 5 months. pic.twitter.com/rk7RH912tF

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 9, 2025

Per Shams Charania of ESPN, Garland is likely to miss time to begin the season, but how much time is to be determined.

The Cavaliers released an update on social media today saying, “Darius Garland underwent successful surgery today to repair his great toe injury…. His status will be updated as appropriate, following a progression of treatment and rehabilitation in approximately 4-5 months. Garland is expected to make a full recovery and resume basketball activities by the start of training camp.”

pic.twitter.com/1Heq0CxvtL

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) June 9, 2025

This surgery is now most certainly going to end the Garland trade rumors that have once again come up in discussions. With his playoff struggles, many people, including ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, began to speculate that Garland could be on the block. Now, recovering from an injury, his trade interest will likely be diminished.

About Post Author

Michael Bodzenta

Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, I fell in love with sports from a young age. Whether I was playing them throughout high school or in the yard with my friends, I knew I had found something I loved. Watching them was also a main part of my childhood, as I could name almost every player on all three Cleveland sports teams. Talking about sports is something I can do for hours, so as I got older, I quickly realized that I knew what I wanted to do. I started writing about sports and talking about sports in high school. It was fun and easy for me. My dream goal would be to become baseball analyst, covering breaking news and other stories in the sport. I've written numerous articles about sports including the Browns and the Guardians. I currently write for Kent Wired, where I expanded my knowledge to cover Health and Fitness. I have experience with Adobe Photoshop, Premier, and Audition. I work as the social media manager/representative for the Kent State Club Baseball team creating graphics mostly on Instagram and some on Twitter (X) . The goal of this is to get more engagement for the team, create awareness, and raise money. I also currently coach for a 17u travel baseball organization (Midwest Stars) out of Hudson, Ohio. Through this I have been able to continue my love for the game, give back to the community, and strengthen my leadership qualities. My passion for sports especially baseball remains unquestioned and I strive to continue to report on something I love.

mbodzent@kent.edu

https://ngscsports.com/