These Cleveland Cavaliers need to step up due to another Darius Garland injury

Darius Garland's 2025-26 NBA season has been disappointing.

But it hasn't been his fault.

When he's healthy, he's one of the best playmakers and offensive weapons in the entire league; however, he hasn't been able to stay on the court. Garland has played in just 26 of the Cleveland Cavaliers' 43 games this season, meaning he's missed out on almost half of the team's matchups they've played.

And yet again, he will be out for quite a bit more time.

On Sunday, Jan. 17, the Cavaliers' front office announced that the 25-year-old guard has a Grade 1 right big toe and will be out for seven to 10 days. The announcement, which followed his exit from Wednesday night's victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, also shared that the window of time could be longer pending a reevaluation.

Following the aggravation of his right big toe, he underwent an evaluation on Saturday night at the Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine.

Now, the Cavaliers are going to have to look for someone on the roster to step up and fill his spot.

BREAKING: Darius Garland has a toe sprain and will be re-evaluated in 7-10 days pic.twitter.com/SzXZHe7396
— Cavaliers Nation (@WeAreCavsNation) January 18, 2026

The No. 1 option to fill Garland's void

Guards Sam Merrill and Craig Porter Jr. have had pretty strong seasons this year.

Merrill, who's one of the best shooters on the roster, is averaging 13.8 points per game this season on a clip of 47% from the field and 45.5% from beyond the arc. He's often relied upon to light a spark for the team off the bench and fill a scoring void left when the starters take a rest.

While he'd be a fit to fill Garland's spot, his playstyle won't work the way the Cavaliers would need it to. They need someone who can pass the ball well and get everybody involved, not just themselves.

Porter Jr., on the other hand, wouldn't be a bad option either, but his lack of consistency is the biggest issue with his game. When in the starting lineup, which he's only done nine times in his career, the Cavaliers often sputter, mainly due to spacing issues. He did look good in the Cavaliers' win on Saturday, dishing off 11 assists, but in his only other start this season, he posted a negative 17 plus-minus with just four points and two assists in 15 minutes of action.

Down the line, the 25-year-old Porter Jr. could be a good fit, but he needs a bit more time to develop before he can be thrust into a role like Garland's.

The real answer for the starting point guard spot, and the player who finally needs to come out of his shell, is Lonzo Ball.

The near-30-year-old was picked up this past offseason in a deal with the Chicago Bulls, swapping guard Isaac Okoro for Ball. In 21.8 minutes of gametime, though, Ball has been lackluster at best, averaging a career-low 5.0 points a game, while also tacking on 4.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists.

His numbers show that if anything, he needs to just be more consistent with his shot, with his rebounding and playmaking playing a major role in the Cavaliers' success in other areas.

"I'm going to come in whenever my name is called and try to play the best basketball I can," he said after being held out of consecutive games recently due to the excellent play from Porter Jr.

Ball's not only one of those all-around utility players, but he's also a leader. He plays hard, physical and aggressive when he has confidence, and if that well-known Ball persona can start to come out in Cleveland, the team may have someone who can lockdown the team while Garland's out.

Ball will look to help light a spark for Cleveland and help the offense flow smoothly on Monday, Jan. 19, when they play host to the Oklahoma City Thunder with tip-off slated for 2:30 p.m. EST.

It'll be the first meeting between the two sides this season.