NBA Rumors: The Team Looking to Take Advantage of the Cavaliers' Decline to Acquire Darius Garland

The Sacramento Kings are not escaping the rumor mill this season. The California team has been linked to numerous names in the league and practically their entire roster has been, at some point, associated with possible trades. The latest focus is now on Cleveland.

According to Grant Afseth, from Dallas Hoops Journal, the Kings have set their sights on the Cavaliers' star point guard, Darius Garland, in their endless search for a stable solution at the point guard position. "Sacramento has closely monitored Garland's situation as they remain motivated to find a long-term answer at the point guard position following De'Aaron Fox's departure," Afseth points out.

Fox was traded at the deadline of the last season when his desire to leave the franchise was evident. Before that, in 2022, the Kings made another significant move by sending Tyrese Haliburton—then on his way to stardom—in a trade that brought Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento. Since Fox's departure, the void at the point guard position has remained a structural issue for the team.

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An aging backcourt with no results

To try to alleviate that deficiency, the Kings bet on Dennis Schröder in the summer and, during the season, also added Russell Westbrook. However, the results have been clear. Sacramento stands at a record of 7-22, second to last in the Western Conference, a situation that clearly shows that those short-term solutions have not worked.

Despite that, Garland's name continues to appear recurrently among the possible targets for teams in need of a top-level point guard. All of this, furthermore, without any sign from Cleveland that they are considering his trade.

At 26 years old, Garland is a two-time All-Star with career averages of 18.8 points, 6.7 assists, and a notable 38.5% shooting from three-point range. An elite profile that fits Sacramento's needs, but whose availability in the market, for now, seems more like a wish than a reality.