Bleacher Report host Rob Perez recently proposed a trade that lands the Portland Trail Blazers an All-Star guard in Darius Garland. Here is the deal in full:
The Cleveland Cavaliers should consider shaking up their roster after suffering a disappointing playoff exit at the hands of the Indiana Pacers. It's become apparent that their backcourt duo of Garland and Donovan Mitchell is better equipped for regular season success rather than the postseason, given their player archetypes as undersized, offensive-minded guards.
That's something the Trail Blazers, unfortunately, know all too well after enduring years of not being able to get over the hump with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
Blazers land their All-Star in Darius Garland while offloading Jerami Grant
However, Portland is better equipped to take on a player like Garland this time around. They have the lengthy, versatile wings and rim-protecting bigs needed to cover for Garland, similar to how they currently are with Anfernee Simons, who finished with the worst defensive rating on their roster.
Garland would be an upgrade over Simons and provide the Blazers with the All-Star solution they've been desperately seeking. He's a more efficient shooter and a pure playmaker, averaging 20.6 points, 6.7 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals on 47/40/89 shooting splits this season.
He is pricer -- owed $126.5 million over the next three seasons -- but it's worth it as Garland is one of the best fits for the Blazers in terms of somewhat realistic star targets.
Like Simons, Garland is 25 years old and would fit in perfectly with the timelines of Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, and company. Portland already has their frontcourt solidified but faces serious questions regarding their uncertain backcourt. Garland would not only be a more reliable backcourt option; he's good enough to put them into the playoff conversation as early as next season while still maintaining their long-term outlook.
It comes at a steep price of two coveted first-round picks, but general manager Joe Cronin isn't afraid to include draft capital if it lands them the right fit, and Garland could be that player. Getting off of Jerami Grant's substantial contract is also an asset itself, which needs to be factored in when considering the two first-round picks.
Here, the Blazers kill two birds with one stone. They find a legitimate All-Star answer at their point guard position and manage to finally offload Grant. This trade would balance out their roster much better and provide a more straightforward path for Portland's young core going forward. It would also give the Blazers more flexibility to make a follow-up move, as they could still consider trading Simons (or even Scoot Henderson) if the right deal came along.