Darius Garland and Lonzo Ball Claim They Were Missing Pieces to Cavs' Playoff Run

We look at the comparisons of Darius Garland and Lonzo Ball to James Harden's arrival and would it have been worth the risk?

Feb 4, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers Darius Garland gets a hug from Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Two former Cleveland Cavaliers players have taken shots at the franchise after their old team was eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Darius Garland was part of the trade that sent him to the Los Angeles Clippers, with James Harden coming to Cleveland. Lonzo Ball became an unrestricted free agent after being waived by the Utah Jazz following the trade deadline, leaving his NBA future in doubt after a series of knee injuries that have hampered his career.

Still, it didn’t stop the two players from sharing their thoughts on the Cavaliers’ playoff run that ended with a series drubbing at the hands of the New York Knicks, with Ball leading the way in saying that they would have gone to the Finals had he and Garland remained in Cleveland.

Strange argument?

For Ball, who made the comments on his Ball in the Family podcast, he was restricted to 25 minutes, though he occasionally went over on some nights.

He appeared in 35 games, with three starts, averaging 4.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists. His impact with the Cavs was minimal and only started due to a lengthy injury list. It was a difficult stint for both Ball and Cleveland, and his release cleared his $10 million salary off of their books.

“It was lowkey tough to watch,” - Darius Garland on the Cavs in the playoffs.

Lonzo Ball added that he thinks the Cavs would have went farther if they didn’t trade him and DG. pic.twitter.com/7Z5d9i40RH

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 2, 2026

However confident in his ability – as most athletes are – Ball doesn’t believe the Cavs should have got rid of him.

“If you’re trying to win a championship, I don’t think that was a path that you should have took personally,” Ball said.

“If you asked me, I think we would have went farther, but that’s just me, I’m always going to better myself.  I thought we had a better team. I feel like they didn’t. Even watching the last series, I’m like, ‘y’all traded people that you’re not even using’.

You push [Jaylon] Tyson to the bench when he was killing all year; [Nae’Quan Tomlin] didn’t see the light of day; he’s the energy guy I’ve seen throughout the year; I didn’t see at all in the playoffs, and to me, it’s going to be hard to win when you don’t have no identity.”

When asked if he agreed, Garland smirked in agreement. “I was low-key tough to watch,” he revealed. “I mean, I didn’t watch a lot, but when I did tune in, it was kind of tough, especially seeing how we was playing early in the year.”

For Garland, while a key piece of the Cavaliers roster, he was dealt a big blow with constant nagging injuries that the team seemingly didn’t want to risk.

Before his departure to the Clippers, Garland averaged great numbers, albeit in limited appearances. Averaging 19.1 points and 6.8 assists per game on 50% shooting.

Garland missed chunks of the season due to a toe injury, for which he underwent offseason surgery. He played 26 games for the Cavs and went 13-13, but he missed 36 regular-season games overall, and his lingering issues would have hampered the team.

Check the record

What makes Ball and Garland’s comments bewildering is that when James Harden arrived along with Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder, the Cavaliers were rejuvenated.

The Cavs went 21-9 since acquiring the trio on February 4, which was the second-best record in the East, while before, they dealt with inconsistencies and numerous injury concerns, which included both Garland and Ball, and before they were traded away, were 30-21 and fifth, but before that, had gone from second to seventh in the space of five weeks.

"Bringing James [Harden] on has given us a renewed confidence, if that makes sense. We understand we're a better team," Atkinson said on February 24.

"That spirit, that confidence for some strange reason, it makes you play harder, compete harder, compete harder defensively.”

Sour grapes from Ball and Garland, as both didn’t make the playoffs, though the latter slithered into the play-in tournament, perhaps?