Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland, who was already ruled out for Thursday's game against the Detroit Pistons, doesn't have a firm timeline for his return from a lingering back injury.

The Cavaliers announced on Thursday that Garland will undergo treatment to address lower back soreness and "his return to basketball activities will be updated as appropriate." The Athletic's Joe Vardon reported that Garland is dealing with a muscle issue that requires extended rest.

The 22-year-old floor general is in the midst of a breakout year and earned his first trip to the All-Star Game. Garland is averaging career highs in points (20.3), assists (8.0) and field-goal percentage (47.7). He scored 13 points for Team LeBron in the midseason showcase.

Behind Garland's surge this season, Cleveland has been one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference with a 35-23 record. The Cavaliers are in line to achieve their first playoff berth since 2017-18. It's a sharp improvement for a team that finished 22-50 last year.

Cleveland boasts the top defense in the league by holding opponents to 102.5 points per game. The Cavaliers also feature a strong frontcourt led by Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Allen was named a replacement for the All-Star Game after averaging 16.2 points and 11.0 rebounds. Mobley is one of the front-runners for Rookie of the Year with averages of 14.9 points and 8.1 rebounds.

While Garland is out, veteran point guard Rajon Rondo will assume the starting role. He's averaging 7.2 points and 4.7 assists since being acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers in January. Isaac Okoro and Cedi Osman are also likely to see more run on the wing alongside Rondo.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert will be sidelined one to two weeks with a right foot sprain, the team announced Thursday. 

It's unclear when he suffered the injury.

The Cavaliers acquired LeVert and a second-round pick in a trade with the Indiana Pacers earlier this month for Ricky Rubio and three draft picks. He has appeared in just four games since the trade. 

The 27-year-old averaged 13.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists in those contests. Through 39 games with the Pacers, he averaged 18.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists while shooting 44.7 percent from the floor and 32.3 percent from deep. 

Since spending his first four-and-a-half seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, LeVert has bounced around a bit. During the 2020-21 campaign, the Nets traded him to the Pacers, who then flipped him to the Cavaliers this year. 

LeVert has struggled with injuries throughout his six-year career and has appeared in more than 50 games in a season just twice. Since 2018-19, the 2016 first-round pick hasn't played more than 47 games in a campaign. 

Since LeVert was traded to the Cavaliers, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been considering inserting him into the starting lineup, according to the Associated Press. The two are also figuring out ways he can be most effective in the lineup.

The Cavaliers are fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 35-23 record and are looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18, when they lost the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors in four games. 

Cleveland Cavaliers guards Darius Garland (lower back soreness) and Caris LeVert (right foot sprain) will miss Thursday's game against the Detroit Pistons.

Garland, 22, is enjoying a breakout season for the Cavs, averaging career highs in points (20.3 PPG), assists (8.0 APG) and field-goal percentage (47.7 percent) while shooting a solid 37.8 percent from three.

That earned him an All-Star spot.

LeVert, Cleveland's biggest addition prior to the NBA trade deadline, has averaged 13.3 points and 3.8 assists in his first four games with the Cavaliers.

Garland's continued growth in his third year, alongside the development of Jarrett Allen; Evan Mobley's excellent rookie season; and a solid supporting cast of veterans, has Cleveland pushing for a playoff berth.

Not too shabby for a team that finished 22-50 a season ago. In many ways, the Cavs feel like this year's version of the Atlanta Hawks, who took a major leap last season behind Trae Young and reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

"We're getting some wins so we're putting the league on notice," Garland told reporters in January. "We have a target on our back now, so a lot of teams are trying to come at us and get wins off us. We definitely have a target on our back. On the radar. One of the top teams in the league and one of the top teams in the East. We're definitely getting more attention."

Losing Garland for any period of time, then, is a major blow for those postseason aspirations. A back injury cost Garland four games in early February, though he's largely remained healthy this season.

Being without Garland and LeVert both is a bit of a double whammy because the latter was acquired with the idea of easing the scoring and playmaking burden on the former. Now, the Cavs will lean heavily on Rajon Rondo at the point and Cedi Osman on the wing Thursday.

Mike Gansey has been promoted to general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers after serving as assistant GM since 2017, the team announced Wednesday.

The move comes after previous general manager Koby Altman was elevated to president of basketball operations in January.

Gansey and Altman have both been in the front office since 2017, and Gansey previously worked for the Cavs' G League team, the Cleveland Charge, from 2012 to 2017. He was named NBA G League Executive of the Year award after the 2016-17 season.

The Cavaliers are in the midst of a major turnaround, coming out of the All-Star break with a 35-23 record. The squad is seeking its first playoff appearance since LeBron James left in 2018.

"I think Koby and those guys have done an unbelievable job drafting and making trades," James said last week, per Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. 

As ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski noted, Gansey "played a significant part in the franchise's renaissance" that includes drafting Darius Garland and Evan Mobley.

Gansey is also known for his playing career, including as a high school star at Olmsted Falls in the Cleveland area. He was a three-time All-State player and finished second in Mr. Ohio Basketball voting behind LeBron.

In college, the 39-year-old led West Virginia to the Elite Eight in 2005 alongside Kevin Pittsnogle, upsetting Chris Paul and Wake Forest along the way. Paul mentioned his last collegiate game during All-Star Weekend.

After a brief professional career overseas and in the G League, Gansey has emerged as a valuable commodity in the Cavaliers front office.     

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland isn't buying the idea LeBron James could return for a third stint with the Cavs.

Garland laughed when asked about that prospect by Jason Lloyd of The Athletic and said he doesn't expect it to happen. He added the current generation of Cleveland players are focused on making the playoffs without LeBron having to lead the way.

"Our guys want to make our own legacy," Garland said Saturday. "It's a new look, a new feel. It's a rebirth in Cleveland. It would mean a lot to all of us."

James, 37, wouldn't discount the possibility of a return to the Cavaliers, telling Lloyd the "door's not closed on that," but he added the only true focus for the latter stages of his career will be trying to play at least one season with his son, 17-year-old Bronny James.

"My last year will be played with my son," he said. "Wherever Bronny is at, that's where I'll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It's not about the money at that point."

Bronny is eligible for the 2024 NBA draft, and LeBron's declaration adds a unique layer to how he'll be judged as a prospect over the next two years.

Although there would be a certain amount of symmetry if Cleveland drafts the younger James and thus brings back LeBron to close out his career, the strength of the team's core makes it unlikely.

Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley have carried the team to a 35-23 record this season. The team also picked up Caris LeVert ahead of the trade deadline and will eventually get Collin Sexton back from a knee injury suffered in November.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLeP4sIrK4M

So the Cavs, for the first time in decades, are in a good position to find long-term success without James as a cornerstone piece of the roster.

That doesn't mean the front office would turn down a reunion if it becomes a possibility, but it's no longer a must-have component of a winning squad.

This year's Skills Challenge at the NBA All-Star weekend took on a new format, with Team Rooks, Team Cavaliers and Team Antetokounmpo competing to be crowned the best. It was Team Cavs that came out on top after a tough competition.

Team Rookies included Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham and Josh Giddey, while Team Cavs included Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley. Team Antetokounmpo meanwhile, featured Giannis Antetokounmpo and two of his brothers, Thanasis and Alex. 

All three teams competed in the first three rounds, which consisted mostly of shooting and passing. The winning team from each round was awarded 100 points in the first two rounds and 200 in the third. The teams with the most points advanced to the final round, and the champion was decided by the team that hit a half-court shot in the least amount of time. 

Here is a better look at the competition and the top performers. 

Team Cavs opened up the shooting competition in style thanks to Mobley and Garland. The team had a particularly smart strategy, allowing Allen, who finished with just five points, to shoot first before Mobley tacked on 18 points. Garland, the team's best shooter, finished with 24 points to help secure the Cavs a win, and 100 points in the Skills Challenge overall.

Evan Mobley and Darius Garland close out the first round of #TacoBellSkills with a show for the Cleveland crowd! 🔥

Team @cavs in the lead on TNT pic.twitter.com/5vMS172BPh

— NBA (@NBA) February 20, 2022

Homecourt Advantage

Team Cavs wins round 1 of the #TacoBellSkills! pic.twitter.com/p4KsNuxOSv

— #NBAAllStar (@NBAAllStar) February 20, 2022

Is there anything Evan Mobley doesn't do well?

The kid might be Batman. pic.twitter.com/HpXC47We5E

— Joe Gabriele (@CavsJoeG) February 20, 2022

Darius Garland scored more points in the Team Shooting Challenge than Team Antetokounmpos combined 😳

Garland: 24 Points
Team Antetokounmpos: 20 Points pic.twitter.com/KforgcyT5D

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 20, 2022

In the passing challenge, Team Cavs put up a good fight, but it was Team Antetokounmpo who took home the victory, and 100 points overall. Giannis, Thanasis and Alex combined for 88 points and held the tiebreaker over Team Cavs, who also finished with 88 points. The tiebreaker went to whichever team had the most outlet passes. 

Team Antetokounmpos win the passing round!

They are tied with Team Cavs for the lead in #TacoBellSkills...the TEAM RELAY round is next on TNT pic.twitter.com/JwShlEJeI4

— NBA (@NBA) February 20, 2022

The team relay challenge was a different story, with Team Rooks taking the victory over Team Cavs and Team Antetokounmpo. Cunningham, Giddey and Barnes finished the relay challenge in the fastest time to earn 200 points and clinch a spot in the finals. 

Team Cavs and Team Antetokounmpo finished the relay challenge in a tie, so the two teams entered a tiebreaker, with one player from each team tasked with shooting a three-pointer from the top of the key. Team Antetokounmpo chose Thanasis to take the shot, which was questionable at best, and he missed. Team Cavs went with Garland, who made his shot to send his team to the final round. 

Thanasis going into the tiebreaker instead of Giannis pic.twitter.com/Feg5NdW44U

— Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) February 20, 2022

https://twitter.com/DrGuru_/status/1495213510950891523

Headed to the final round on @NBAonTNT!#TacoBellSkills | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/cxIG7gUdTR

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) February 20, 2022

Team Cavs took that momentum into the final half-court challenge, too. Mobley made a half-court shot in just 5.5 seconds to give Team Cavs the victory in the 2022 Skills Challenge. The Rooks, who shot first, made a half-court shot in 9.9 seconds. 

EVAN MOBLEY FOR THE WIN 🔥

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) February 20, 2022

EVAN MOBLEY FROM HALFCOURT TO WIN #TacoBellSkills FOR TEAM CAVS IN CLEVELAND!#StateFarmSaturday #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/TKYL6eiafZ

— NBA (@NBA) February 20, 2022

All Evan Mobley does is win.

— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) February 20, 2022

EVAN MOBLEY SKILLS CHALLENGE MVP FOR SUREEEE

— Shake4ndbake (@ItsShake4ndbake) February 20, 2022

TNT’s broadcast said “GIVE EVAN MOBLEY THE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR NOW!”

— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) February 20, 2022

Hand Evan Mobley the ROTY trophy right now. #LetEmKnow

— Nick Pedone (@NickPedone12) February 20, 2022

It was an incredible showing by Mobley and the Cavs, and doing it in front of the home crowd in Cleveland made the victory that much sweeter. 

LeBron James will forever be a Cleveland Cavaliers legend no matter what happens the rest of his career, but his time playing for Ohio's NBA team may not be fully in the rearview mirror.

"The door's not closed on that," James told Jason Lloyd of The Athletic when discussing a potential return to Cleveland. "I'm not saying I'm coming back and playing, I don't know. I don't know what my future holds. I don't even know when I'm free."

James is under contract with the Los Angeles Lakers through the 2022-23 campaign.

Perhaps the biggest factor in James' future will be where his son, Bronny, eventually ends up if he reaches the NBA level.

The younger James would be eligible for the 2024 NBA draft if the one-and-done rule is still in place when he finishes playing at Sierra Canyon in 2023. LeBron did not shy away from his desire to suit up with his son at the game's highest level.

"My last year will be played with my son," James said. "Wherever Bronny is at, that's where I'll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It's not about the money at that point."

It isn't difficult to envision an NBA team selecting Bronny in the draft as much for his own skill set as the opportunity to convince his father to join in free agency. After all, the older James is on the shortest of short lists of the best players in NBA history and is still playing at an All-Star level even at 37 years old.

From Cleveland's perspective, the idea of James returning for something of a farewell season is surely an intriguing one.

He suited up for the Cavaliers for the first seven seasons of his career and led them to the 2007 NBA Finals. He then returned to the team that drafted him after four seasons with the Miami Heat and led it to a dramatic championship in the 2015-16 campaign and three more NBA Finals.

Cleveland is a contender this season with a 35-23 record and a young core that features All-Star Darius Garland. It isn't a stretch to say a veteran James could be the difference between an early playoff exit and a deep run when some of the young core has more experience.

It would be quite the full-circle moment for his career if he did return to the Cavaliers, especially if he got to play with his son.            

The NBA world has descended upon Cleveland, and All-Star guard Darius Garland has relished his pseudo role of host for the weekend. 

Garland has cemented his status among the game's best floor generals. At the break, the third-year guard is one of only four NBA players averaging at least 20.0 points and 8.0 assists per game this season. Alongside the stellar play of fellow All-Star and Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen and standout rookie big man Evan Mobley, Garland's dazzling off-the-dribble threes and dances to the rim have powered Cleveland to fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

Going back to his performance at Team USA's minicamp in Las Vegas this summer, there were early signs of his explosion into an All-Star. "Darius was one of the best players on the Select Team by far," said Chicago Bulls All-Star guard Zach LaVine. "He's a killer."

Garland's Cavs stand at 35-23. They surpassed last season's win total of 22 games on January 10. 

"His ability to lead us, last year you saw the beginning of his ability to be a vocal leader," Allen said. "Now you're seeing it everywhere, off the court, how he's pushing us all to get better." 

Burrowed within a green jacket on Friday afternoon at All-Star Weekend, he smiled wide atop the stage at Mountain Dew's Courtside Commentary, with a flock of fans hanging on the young phenom's every word. The lights of the league's midseason classic always shine bright on first-time All-Star honorees. 

"It's super cool. They're bringing a lot of fans out to get closer to us and have an opportunity to interact with us," Garland told Bleacher Report. 

B/R caught up with the Cavaliers' table setter ahead of his Sunday night All-Star debut to discuss his relationship with a certain Ohio native and talk about the future of the Cavs' budding young core. 

---

Bleacher Report: LeBron said on the All-Star Draft Show that he needed you on his team as coverage for leaving Cleveland twice. You guys of course share an agency. What's your relationship like with him now, and has he been a big brother for you throughout the All-Star experience in particular?

Darius Garland: Yeah, Bron's been a big brother to me since before I was even drafted, really. Klutch is really a big family. I don't really consider them as an agency. Everyone's super close. Everyone's on the same page. They make life a lot easier, in my opinion. 

Bron's always been in my ear, just telling me to be great, just go be myself, go play my game. He's told me a lot about All-Star because he's done that a lot. He's given me a few pointers. 

         

B/R: What are LeBron's top three All-Star tips?

Garland: He just told me to have fun. He said they want to alley-oop when I get in the game. So I gotta try and get one up to him. Then he just told me to stay off my feet as much as possible so I can be ready for the second half of the NBA season. 

    

B/R: When talking to a few coaches, players and executives this summer about who stood out at Team USA scrimmages, your name consistently popped up. What did you take from that experience to feed into this season that helped you become an All-Star? 

Garland: This summer really just gave me confidence. Just playing against all the top guys in the league and all the top guys in the world, it just gave me the confidence that I can do what I do best and be myself. They were just always in my ear and going out and playing my game and not worrying about anything else. 

     

B/R: He got hurt and was part of the deal that brought you guys Caris LeVert, but can you describe just how impactful Ricky Rubio's presence was for the early start you guys had and the overall success of Cleveland this year?

Garland: Yeah, Ricky was a huge part of our success early on. He was the leader of this group. He just brought that heady mentality. He's been in the league for a long time. He knows the ups and downs and ins and outs of the league. He taught everyone a lot of things, including me, especially just being a leader, trying to take control of the team and trying to use my voice as much as possible. 

     

B/R: Along those lines, it's been interesting that you guys have had all your success and Collin Sexton hasn't been able to be a part of it. With his contract negotiations upcoming this offseason and adding Caris to the backcourt as well, what are your thoughts on bringing Collin back to this situation?

Garland: I would love to bring Collin back. I mean, that's a brother to me. I would love to be in the same backcourt with him and just be in attack mode as always. I had a couple years with Bull that were pretty good, so hopefully we bring him back next year and see what happens. 

    

B/R: At the trade deadline, the conversation around player empowerment took center stage yet again. Ben Simmons landed in a situation that he wanted to get to. James Harden landed in a situation that he wanted to get to. What is your involvement in those decisions for Cleveland? Now that you're an All-Star and the team is playing at this level? 

My role is just to try to win games, try to lead my team to wins and championships and that's my whole goal. The front office handles everything else. I don't really have a say-so in everything. I just try to go out there and do my job. 

        

B/R: Can you make your best argument for Kevin Love to win Sixth Man of the Year? 

Garland: For sure. Highest three-point percentage on our team. Off the bench, I think he's averaging like 16, 17 off the bench? [Editor's note: Love is averaging 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 22.3 minutes per game and is first in three-point percentage among the regular rotation.] He's just a big sparkplug for us. He comes in, hot shooter, comes in and rebounds. He leads our second unit for sure. 

       

B/R: What about Evan Mobley for Rookie of the Year? Has it just been unbelievable that he's picked up so many intricacies on both sides of the ball at this level? 

Garland: He's so young, and he's just picking up everything. I wasn't expecting it would be this early, but I definitely think he's stamped as Rookie of the Year. 

      

B/R: Cavs personnel talk about the off-court chemistry of your group. Do you have a best memory from this season, or something you guys did in training camp, that's indicative of how close you've all become this year?

Garland: I mean, all the guys just like being around each other off the floor. We have dinners almost every road trip. We go out to eat in Cleveland a lot. We go to games. We watch games. Everybody just likes being around each other, so when we're on the court, it just makes it a lot easier to talk to people and communicate. Everyone knows it's coming from a good place, and everybody wants to win. It makes it a lot easier. 

      

B/R: Last decade, there was the big Deron Williams vs. Chris Paul debate. You and Ja Morant are kind of ascending on the same level. Is he someone you're viewing as a rival, as a peer, of young point guards taking their teams into this contending sphere? 

Garland: Yeah, I think everyone has that competitive spirit in the league, with any position. I don't think it's just with Ja; it's every point guard that I come across. Every team has a great point guard in this league. It's always gonna be a tough night, a tough matchup every night. It's not just one person. There are a lot of other guys in this league.    

Cleveland Cavaliers fans will have the opportunity to cheer for another one of their team's players during the 2022 All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Sunday.

The NBA announced Cavaliers big man Jarrett Allen will replace Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden on Team LeBron in Sunday's game. Harden is recovering from a left hamstring injury and will miss the game.

Harden's path to Team LeBron was the biggest talking point of Thursday's player draft to determine the rosters.

LeBron James and Kevin Durant selected their teams from the pool of All-Stars, and it became clear that Durant wasn't going to pick Harden as the draft continued. Harden had just been traded from Durant's Brooklyn Nets to the 76ers, and it reached a point that James even covered his face with a clipboard to hide his laughter.

Harden fell to the last pick and ended up on Team LeBron. But the guard, who has not appeared in a game since Feb. 2, will be sidelined through the All-Star break.

That clears the path for Allen to become a first-time All-Star in front of the hometown fans. Cavaliers guard Darius Garland was already selected to the game, although he will suit up for Team Durant on Sunday.

Allen is averaging 16.2 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 66.5 percent from the field this season. His interior presence on both ends of the floor is a major reason Cleveland is among the biggest positive surprises of the 2021-22 campaign.

The Cavaliers are 35-22 and sitting third in the Eastern Conference standings.

Allen will look to help James maintain his undefeated record as the captain of Team LeBron at the All-Star Game. The Los Angeles Lakers star is 4-0 since the NBA switched the All-Star Game format to the current one where the two captains draft their teams.