Darius Garland’s offseason surgery has changed the Cavaliers’ plans before a single preseason drill. The All Star guard had left big toe surgery in June after the injury limited him during the playoffs, and Cleveland’s medical staff set a four to five month recovery timeline with a cautious approach to ramping him back up. Garland admitted the injury affected him badly last season and said “I definitely wasn’t myself,” a blunt assessment that underlines why the Cavs are not rushing his return to the floor.

Garland’s timeline and progress matter because the Cavs still aim to protect a core that finished atop the East in 2024 25, and his recovery affects rotations now. Alongside Mitchell, he has formed one of the most lethal one-two punches in the NBA, and the Cavs undoubtedly look to him

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