JULY 9: The Cavaliers have officially announced Garland’s rookie scale extension, per a press release.
“We’ve quickly seen Darius grow into an NBA All-Star and an integral core piece in our pursuit of sustainable success,” team president Coby Altman said in a statement. “Both on and off the court, Darius has demonstrated a strong commitment to this organization and the community. We look forward to our future and what we can accomplish here in Cleveland.”
JULY 2: The Cavaliers and point guard Darius Garland have reached an agreement on a five-year rookie scale extension that will be the largest deal in franchise history, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
It’s a maximum-salary extension that will will have a starting salary of at least 25% – and possibly up to 30% – of the 2023/24 cap, agent Rich Paul tells Wojnarowski. Based on the NBA’s latest projections for ’23/24, the deal will be worth at least $192.85MM and could be worth as much as $231.42MM.
Garland has steadily improved in each of his three NBA seasons. In 2021/22, he established new career highs in PPG (21.7), APG (8.6), RPG (3.3), and FG% (.462) as he helped lead Cleveland to a play-in spot. The 22-year-old made his first All-Star team and was a finalist for the league’s Most Improved Player award.
The Cavaliers made serious strides in 2021/22 behind a core of Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. Mobley’s rookie contract covers three more years, while Allen is under contract for the next four seasons, so the franchise now has that core locked up for the foreseeable future.
Garland’s new contract will go into effect as Kevin Love ($28.94MM) and Caris LeVert ($18.79MM) come off the books in 2023, so the Cavaliers will still have some financial flexibility going forward and aren’t in any immediate danger of becoming a taxpayer.
The exact value of Garland’s extension will depend on where the 2023/24 cap (currently projected at $133MM) lands and whether or not he meets the Rose Rule criteria to increase his starting salary to 30% of the cap.
While Garland is reportedly receiving Rose Rule language in his new deal, it may not be as simple as a spot on the All-NBA Third Team increasing his starting salary to 30% of the cap. Teams and players can negotiate different starting salaries based on what specific criteria the player meets. For instance, Garland may need to make the All-NBA First Team or Second Team in order to get the full 30% — we’ll have to wait for more details.
Even if he doesn’t make an All-NBA team next season, Garland is in line for a starting salary of $33.3MM on his extension, with subsequent 8% raises. He’ll also join the NBA’s list of designated rookies, which we outlined earlier today.
With Garland’s deal done, the Cavaliers figure to shift their focus to a new deal for another guard, Collin Sexton, who is still a restricted free agent.
Man, I wish I was in the NBA. These contracts are getting crazy.
In team sports, no athlete has a greater impact minute by minute than an NBA player. All players have to play offense and defense. Very similar to hockey but even hockey has designated defenders so there is some specialization (defenders mainly defend esp. the goalie). Other than decathletes and, maybe soccer players, the best all around athletes in the world
I tell you, I’m glad homie got his bag but the NBA is flushed in money and they give it away so fast compared to the NFL and MLB. In the mlb you MIGHT see a high bonus if you’re a top 5 pick or considered elite and they pay you to forego college but it’s usually not more than $8-15m total. You have to be called up from the minors, put in 3 years of no arbitration where they can just pay you the minimum, another 3 arbitration years where you get better pay according to your performance and then either work out an extension to avoid you reaching free agency or you hit the open market and get what you get. But that’s still 6-8 years after you’re drafted before you see that kinda real bag. Garland had really good season and BAMM!!! $200 MIL. crazy. The money is there because of the revenue the league and TV contracts so it’s a great system where the players get % of the pot but it’s also why we see soooooo many max contracts and soooooo many bad contracts too.
And Silver is setting a very high bar for the next tv contract, revenue-wise. Not that hewill get it, but he must think more is coming.
So now what do we think Sexton Wants.
It was his starting job first. He got hurt. He didn’t lose it. Well ????
Time to move Collin Sexton for value. Garland is too good to bring in drama. I would think Celtics should be interested. Even Nets should be interested. There is a market out there for Sexton. Cavs can really help their TEAM by trading him.
@knick
Stop saying this. Sexton didn’t “lose his job” to Garland because of injury. He became the starting SG the day they drafted Garland. Their roles were completely defined. He can fill in as a PG if needed but he’s the starting SG.
Do you even watch Cavs games? From 2019-20 thru 20-21 (Garland’s rookie season and 2nd) Garland started 109 of 113 games at the PG position. Sexton started 125 of 125 games as the SG. There’s no conflict here. Their roles have been defined as soon as Garland was drafted.
They shouldn’t be trading Sexton for “value pieces”
Fact you see Sexton as a SG. Is all we need to know about you. So go away. Go read or something. 6 ft SG is all the RAGE now.
You’re acting like people saying Sexton is a SG is some sort of conspiracy theory throughout the league. Sexton played SG last season before his injury. He also played SG the year before with Garland at the 1. We’re considering him a SG because that’s what he’s been playing
Anyone who thinks Sextont. Is your starting SG. In todays NBA. ……. ?????
You need an update. K
AL you’re always wrong with the Cavs.
Please explain to us Sexton the SG of the Cavs.
I’ll put a 1000 likes that he’s gone soon
@Knicker
OMG… you are a fool. Yes. Sexton was drafted as a shoot first point guard. They decided they needed a point guard that was more of a pass first distributer and they slid Sexton over to SG. Now you can call him a combo guard if you wish because he does pass but he’s absolutely a SG like Beal, etc. Have no idea what you’re smoking. But Sexton is not a backup PG. He has started every game he’s played since Garland was named as the PG. No need for you and I to continue this conversation if you can’t figure out what position he’s been playing.
The only fool is up your yeah. You bold on here right.
@Knick
Bold. Dude. Relax. This ain’t that. And your not that guy.
Learn to disagree …..
Sexton is a Combo Guard like White on the Bulls and is not a true Point Guard…
Think of Lou Williams type…
Bad take.
No thanks! Collin lists as only 6’1″ tall. Our Celtics, hopefully, don’t want anyone under 6’5″ anymore! Sick of having to make up for the inherent weakness in playing short guys. I mean we expect everyone to cover anyone now, right? I remember Middletown shooting over Rozier & nothing we could do. And then we had Shane, Tremont, Kyrie & on and on. And now Pritchard & JD. Enough.
Go Celtics!
Agreed. The player needs to be awfully special to play them at that size. Nevermind trying to run with two small guards. Look at Portland with Lillard and McCollum as a prime example.
I can’t see them justifying giving Sexton something lowball like $15 mil per. Too bad he was injured this past year. If he had put up a typical 20+ on 45+/37+/82+ shooting then he would be getting something in that $150-$200 range. Look at the $189 mil Porter Jr got. Crazy.
Yeah…there’s no way Sexton is getting (or was…ever) $150-200M. Kid is one dimensional – offense only and shoot away. He’s a matador on the defensive end and his basketball IQ is not on the level to be an impact player. I see him as a Lou Williams – offense only with spot moments at the one when in a bind. Even Cleveland was shopping him around prior to being injured, so I’m sure they see they exact same thing.
Wild
So now what do we think Sexton Wants.
It was his starting job first. He got hurt. He didn’t lose it. Well ????
Time to move Collin Sexton for value. Garland is too good to bring in drama. I would think Celtics should be interested. Even Nets should be interested.
I have made jest of the terms “young core” and “three stars” and “locked up” but darned if my team didn’t get a young core of three stars locked up for four years!
And one of them a center to make sure Evan plays forward. And his brother. And enough height to make viable with Garland, two small guards (w/Sexton) or three guards (w/Rubio+Ogbaji).
There was a tendency last year to lean on Garland a bit much, so getting more guard options (Neto) is a positive. And can we get Rondo on staff?
Damn, this might spell the end of Sexton in Cleveland. I was thinking they could sign him for around 18 mill a year. But now there’s no way he accepts a deal thats 20 mill less than what Garland is making.
Cavs should’ve waited until Sexton was locked up before making this move.
@OhThat
Sexton signed with Rich Paul a couple of months ago. Same agent as Darius. Would’ve been impossible to do that.
Really ….. fools gold
Here’s the nonsensical madness I hear. Cavs did well last year WITHOUT Sexton therefore the concussion they come to is that something about Sexton not being in the line up was BETTER for the team and allowed Garland to grow as if Sexton stymied his growth path.
Well….. what have the Cavs done? What did they win? Remind me. Oh yeah, they won more games. Great. +22. They in fact doubled the amount of wins. How’d they do that? Was it because Garland added 4+ points over last year? Is it because he added 2+ assists than last year?
Or is because of the additions made to the team? The Cavs are 22-13 when all three 7fters Allen, Mobley and Markkanen are starters together. They were better because in addition to the rock solid defender Allen was joined by Mobley who was top 12 in blocks, DefWin Shares and astonishingly 4th in contested shots. He also averaged 8 rebounds a game and was a good passer from the post with 2.5 pg. But the record shows the Cavs went from 17th in Opp points allowed and 25th in DefRating in 20-21 to top 5 and 7th in one year. From a poor defensive team to great defensive team. So while we can all agree that Garland has improved the obvious most obvious reason why the Cavs were better is because of their defense largely buyoed by Mobley and to some extent having a 3rd 7fter on the floor.
Markkanen had career highs in OffWin, DefWin, Defrtg and total Winshares.
But what did the Cavs win?.Nada. Are we content with being a .500 or do we want to leap to the next level? So what’s our deficiency? Offense. Cavs were a horrible bottom 5 (25th out of 30th) in points scored per game.
Last year Garland basically had top handle most of the perimeter offense aside from Markkanen. In the 2nd half he had to play 38 minutes per game, the most in the nba. I tried to find a source that showed points by position. Guards, Forwards and C. Couldn’t find. But to take the next step we need to increase our offense. What’s the most obvious position to do so with Garland, Mobley and Allen entrenched at their positions and a most likely rotation of Markkanen/Agbali at SF? The SG position. Of Sexton, Levert and Okoro, who’s the most prolific and efficient option? Sexton. Now obvi they have to work out rotations where maybe Levert come in if Sexton is being overwhelmed by a bigger guard but you can say that about almost any situation as Garland is thr sneer size too. I’m not saying it’s perfect but we have a dynamic scorer in Sexton. Garland says he wants him back and they seem to be friends, friends enough that Sexton signed with Rich Paul who handles Garland too. We can assume that the effort will be there to figure it out. But we can’t go into the next season with Garland being expected to carry a heavy load again with Rubio months away and Neto and Levert as our reserve guards. Sexton isn’t a prototypical old school guard but he was asked to improve his distribution skills and did have a career high 4.4 apg in his last full season. If needed he can fill in at PG if Rubio hasn’t joined the team yet. I think he would sacrifice his own shots a bit while filling in for Garland. I think he wants to win at all costs. We have an in house solution to our lack of offense and now he has weapons to pass to, if needed, he didn’t have his rookie year, the only year before Garland. He can pass to Mobley, Allen, Garland, Markkanen and likely Agbali.
Bring back Sexton at around (hopefully) 4/$72-5/$100. Let’s try to improve the offense, maintain the defense and try and win 50+ games this year. Adjust when needed. But to trade him for role players or draft picks would be stupid. Unless we’re getting back a high scoring SG with bigger height then what’s the point. We can create financial space next year for Mobley with Levert,Osman and Love coming off the books.
????????????????????????????£€£€££
Why would you want Sexton. If you understand ball. You know that’s where his worth is to Cavs. They can get best offer. Cause he’s just peaking. Coming off injury of course.
No team is going to start
TWO that’s TWO ………… That’s Two
6’ guards. 6 ft guards. Twin small people.
@Knick
Those two, those two guards are about 6’1 playing against most other guards that are, with some exceptions, 6’1 to 6’5. However, they are usually going to be on the floor with 2 or 3 7fters who should be able to deter those guys from scoring. If there’s an obvious mismatch then go to the bench with Levert, Okoro and eventually Rubio if needed. I’d rather do that than to trade MY BEST EFFICIENT SCORER IN CAVS HISTORY NOT NAMED LBJ OR KYRIE. It’s not like the Cavs can just bring in FA replacements like other franchises. And if I’m getting pieces of “value” then it’s not worth it. Isaiah and Dumars, Lillard and CJ, Iverson, CP3 and JJ Reddick had success although not all the ultimate goal. Figure it out as you go. No team is without a weakness but no team is going to win finishing 25th in scoring and right now we can at least address that on one end of the floor.
OK …….
They will call it ………
“Double Twin Towers”
Another for that where I come from
“A Nut”
Garland is a stud. He, Mobley and Allen are a strong nucleus. Exciting times to be a Cavs fan.