Timberwolves once again linked to Darius Garland in trade rumors

Minnesota is reportedly linked to Darius Garland again. Will this time be any different?

Dec 6, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) brings the ball up court against the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Timberwolves were rumored to be interested in drafting Darius Garland in 2019, and they've seemingly been linked to him in trade rumors ever since. NBA analyst Jake Weinbach posted on X on Tuesday that Minnesota is once again a "potential candidate" to trade for Garland this season.

The Timberwolves, Magic, and Wizards would be considered potential candidates to pursue Darius Garland from Cleveland if the Cavs engage in trade discussions centered around the 2x All-Star.

Garland should receive strong interest from teams in need of lead guard duties.

— Jake Weinbach (@JWeinbachNBA) December 16, 2025

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Garland's fit with the Wolves makes a ton of sense. He doesn't turn 26 until January, and he has averaged 18.8 points with 6.7 assists per game in his career. At 6-foot-1, he might be the perfect point guard of the future to pair with Anthony Edwards. The biggest roadblock might be Minnesota's fit with Cleveland as a potential trade partner.

In a perfect world, Minnesota would like to keep Edwards and Jaden McDaniels. The question then becomes, how much does Cleveland value Garland? His scoring has dropped from 20.6 points per game last season to 15.5 per game this season.

Would a package of Rob Dillingham, Donte DiVincenzo and maybe Terrence Shannon Jr. be enough to get the job done? That wouldn't even be a possibility due to Garland's cap hit of more than $39 million this season, which grows to $42 million and then $44 million over the next two seasons.

Any trade package would likely have to include Julius Randle or Rudy Gobert as the centerpiece, or a package featuring Naz Reid and more to make the money work. Garland has a cap hit of more than $39.4 million this season, which grows to $42 million and then $44 million over the next two seasons.

Randle, Gobert, and Reid are odd fits with Cleveland because they already have Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the frontcourt. Would they even be interested in another big man?

Randle, Rob Dillingham, and a player like Leonard Miller or Joe Ingles, for salary cap purposes, in exchange for Garland, would work. Does that make sense for both sides? What about Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, and Dillingham for Garland? That might be more appealing for Cleveland, but can the Wolves afford to part with two key players in a deal?

Cleveland running with a starting lineup featuring Donovan Mitchell at the one, DeAndre Hunter at the two, Randle at the three, and Mobley and Allen at the four and five, would be one of the most interesting starting fives in the NBA.

There are hurdles to clear in any trade, but finding something that works for both sides in a Minnesota-Cleveland deal appears to be fairly tricky.