Darius Garland receives disappointing update on toe injury after exiting Heat game

The Cleveland Cavaliers finally got their All-Star point guard back on the court after injuring his toe in the postseason. But he suffered a setback in Cleveland's overtime loss against the Miami Heat.

Nov 7, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) drives to the basket as Washington Wizards guard Will Riley (27).and Wizards forward Marvin Bagley III (35) defend in the second half in an Emirates NBA Cup game at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Darius Garland cannot catch a break.

The highly talented and young guard just returned from offseason surgery to his toe, playing in three games before yet again suffering another setback. In the team's loss to the Miami Heat, 140-138, on Monday, Garland sustained the injury in the second quarter.

He then came back to play in the third quarter before exiting with a limp, with it not being immediately clear if the injury was to the same foot that forced him to have surgery in June.

Further evaluation showed that the medical staff diagnosed him with a great left toe contusion, a reaggravation of the injury he had been working through.

Last season, Garland was dealing with turf toe, causing him to miss the final two regular-season outings of the 2024-25 campaign and four total playoff matchups. After Cleveland was bounced out of the playoffs by the Indiana Pacers, he underwent surgery.

After further evaluation, #Cavs Darius Garland was diagnosed with a left great toe contusion. He will receive daily treatment and continue with his same post-surgery management plan. He's out tonight and his return to play availability will be updated moving forward. https://t.co/LvYYFNI8rc

— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) November 12, 2025

Through his three games of play this year, Garland looked to be getting back up to speed.

He's put up 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists a night with splits of 33.3% from the field and 36.8% from deep. However, he's only averaged 24.3 minutes a game.

In his previous six seasons with the Cavaliers, Garland was selected to two All-Star games while contributing 18.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists a night. He also tacked on 1.2 steals to showcase his worth defensively. His shooting splits have always been relatively solid with 45.3% from the field and 38.8% from deep.

His involvement with the Cavaliers is critical to the team's success, especially when contending for an NBA Championship.

He does a lot of things well, specifically shooting the ball and playmaking, which Cleveland misses when he's off the court.

Fortunately, the coaching staff has found a few replacements to help the team continue to succeed.

Guards Sam Merrill, Craig Porter Jr. and Lonzo Ball have all stepped up big in the absence of Garland. Merrill has provided three-point shooting with 47.% on the season alongside 14.6 points, Porter Jr. has brought the intensity on the defensive end with nearly a steal a night alongside three rebounds and Ball has tied everything together.

At this point, Cleveland must wait to bring the 6-foot-1, 192-pound 25-year-old back to the lineup. His play time at this point of the season has very little effect on what the Cavaliers do at the end of the year.

Holding him out makes sense as the team looks to bring him up to speed and back from his offseason surgery.

Alongside Garland, the team will currently be without guard Donovan Mitchell, forward Evan Mobley and guard Jaylon Tyson for the team's next game.

The Cavaliers hit the road on Wednesday, Nov. 12, with tip-off slated for 7:30 p.m. EST against the Miami Heat.

The two sides clashed just days ago on Monday with the Heat coming out on top, 140-138, on an Andre Wiggins buzzer beater in overtime.