New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Idea Sends Darius Garland to Kings, Hawks Add Backup Power Forward

The Cleveland Cavaliers are in a unique position this offseason. After an incredibly successful regular season where they clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, they destroyed the Miami Heat in the first round before facing the Indiana Pacers in the second round. Unfortunately, Cleveland lost in five games to the Indiana Pacers. Now, they face the prospect of having to re-sign guard Ty Jerome and make changes to their roster next season all while being 5 million dollars in the second apron. This is going to be one of the most expensive rosters in basketball next season and they need to figure out whether that price is worth the performance.

Fortunately, they have some directions to pivot in. One of the most interesting is the prospect of trading either point guard Darius Garland or center Jarrett Allen. Garland's name was recently brought up during a recent apperance from ESPN's Brian Windhorst as a candidate to be moved elsewhere if a compelling offer was made.

“I think there’s some belief that Darius Garland might be available under the right circumstances,. And I don’t think Darius Garland wants to go anywhere. I think Darius Garland is very happy with how things have developed in Cleveland and he really likes it, he likes the role that he’s got. But I think the Cavs are listening and open-minded without actively trying to think that they need to change their roster.”

If the Cavaliers are indeed open to moving on from Garland, who might make the deal? One of the more interesting destinations for him is the Sacramento Kings. Per NBA insider Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Sacramento is expected to explore both the trade market and free agency this offseason in search of help at the point guard position. There aren't a lot of guards the Kings could acquire who would realistically be better than Garland. After two failed attempts to build around Tyrese Haliburton and De'Aaron Fox, respectively, would the Kings make another move to solve their long-term woes at that spot?

The Hawks have a ton of financial flexibility this summer, which they can use to address their needs at interior defense, front court depth, shooting, and maybe a backup lead guard/ball handler. NBA insider Marc Stein has already reported that Atlanta could also look to be facilitators this summer in the trade market due to their financial flexibility, depending on if the team brings back any of Caris LeVert, Clint Capela, or Larry Nance.

Given the needs of all three teams, what would a trade between them look like? Here is one possible framework for a deal.

It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks or any other teams should do or will do. That is all.

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Trey Lyles (S&T on 3 YR, $17M deal)

Sacramento Kings Receive: Darius Garland, Jaylon Tyson, 2027 2nd round pick (via ATL)

Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: Keegan Murray, Malik Monk, 2027 1st round pick (via SAS, from SAC)

Why the Hawks would do this deal: Jalen Johnson has missed the second half of the year in two consecutive seasons and both times, the Hawks have been a dramatically weaker team without him. Adding a power forward like Lyles could give them some insurance if it happens for a third straight time. He was a key part of the 2022-23 Kings team that made the playoffs primarily because he was a real threat from deep and perfectly fit within the Warriors-style offense Mike Brown ran. Lyles isn't a true floor spacer, but he shot 38.4% on 3.4 attempts per game in 2023-24 and he could get back to that when working off of an offensive engine as capable as Trae Young. For a second round pick, this deal is extremely low-risk for Atlanta.

Why the Hawks would not do this deal: While Lyles has had effective seasons in the past, he's struggled since being a key part of the 2022-23 rotation. Although he can occasionally space the floor if his three-point shot is effective, he shot 34% for the season on only 3.4 attempts per game. He's struggled on defense and isn't a very strong rebounder. It wouldn't be entirely unexpected if Lyles did not make much of an impact and being under contract for three years would quickly turn into a difficult situation.

Why the Kings would do this deal: Garland gives Sacramento a secondary playmaker that also improves their spacing and takes some attention away from Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine. Last season, Garland averaged a career-low 2.5 turnovers per game while posting the third-best AST% of his career (32.2%). He can run plenty of pick-and-roll actions with Sabonis and he's a high-volume shooter who can open the floor up for a Kings team that finished 19th in 3P% last season. He shot 40.1% from deep on 7.1 attempts per game and there's reason to believe that number could climb considering he'd be paired with an elite shooter in LaVine, who canned 44.6% of his three-pointers last season on 7.2 attempts per game. The Kings' defense would take a hit if they lost Murray, but they would be able to run out a lineup featuring four players capable of getting their own shot in DeMar DeRozan, Garland, LaVine and Sabonis. Furthermore, Sacramento takes on an intriguing developmental prospect in Jaylon Tyson, who had 31 points in the regular-season finale and averaged 17.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists in his three starts. Tyson is a 6'6 wing who can do a little bit of everything on offense and he would be an intriguing fit alongside the rest of Sacramento's young development projects in Keon Ellis, Isaac Jones and Isaiah Crawford.

Why the Kings would not do this deal: Given that the Kings already had a very exploitable perimeter defense last season, adding a 6'1 point guard into the mix would give opposing offenses another target. This move would also limit development reps for Devin Carter, who the Kings are undoubtedly interested into developing as a key part of their future.

Why the Cavaliers would do this deal: While Monk isn't a perfect replacement for Darius Garland because he is a far worse playmaker, he could be an adequate stand-in while the Cavaliers go all-in on improving their SF spot. He had a down shooting season last year (32.5% from deep on 6.6 attempts a night), but he posted career highs in PPG (17.2) and assists per game (5.6). The real prize of this deal would be Keegan Murray, who is only 24 years old and could be the missing piece the Cavaliers' starting lineup has lacked. He's already an incredibly versatile defender who can actually guard 1-4 while showing signs of growth on offense. A defense with Murray, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen would be incredibly formidable to go against. If he gets back to shooting 41.1% from deep on high volume like he did during his rookie season, there's a possibility that he could turn into an All-Star level talent for an already stacked Cleveland roster.

Why the Cavaliers would not do this deal: Garland has his issues as a playoff scoring option and can certainly be targeted on defense, but there isn't anyone on Cleveland's roster who can really make up for what he provides as a playmaker. Donovan Mitchell is a fantastic scorer, but having Garland run the offense is a much better situation for the offense. Neither Monk or Murray are high-level passers and it's important for the Cavaliers to consider due to needing an effective playmaker if they want to contend for a championship.

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