The Cleveland Cavaliers secured an impressive victory tonight (133-107), but it came at the cost of their starting point guard. Just 23 minutes into tonight’s game against the 76ers, Darius Garland left the game and did not return with an apparent foot injury.
Looks like it’s the right toe/foot for Garland.
His left toe is the one he had surgery one. pic.twitter.com/8KFUycM7Wd
— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) January 15, 2026
Garland went down in the second half after diving to the floor for a loose ball. He went straight to the locker room after the play, with his current condition still unknown. As a positive sign, he was able to walk on his own power back to the locker room, indicating that it may be just a minor setback. In the end, despite his game being cut short, Garland finished as the Cavs’ second-highest leading scorer with 20 points, three rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and zero blocks on 61.5% shooting from the field and 42.9% shooting from three.
Garland, 25, was drafted fifth overall in 2019 and is considered to have All-Star potential. Alongside Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, he helped the Cavaliers to a 64-18 record last season before being eliminated in the second round. Now in the 2025-26 campaign, it’s been a brutal stretch for Cleveland. At 23-19, they are down to seventh in the standings and just four losses from falling to 11th.
As trade rumors run rampant, the Cavaliers are seemingly on the edge of major change, and Garland could be the catalyst by which they remake the roster. With Garland eager to step out from Donovan Mitchell’s shadow, teams like the Kings and Orlando Magic have emerged as the likeliest potential landing spots. Plus, in the wake of Fred VanVleet’s injury, the Houston Rockets have emerged as an option to trade for the versatile young point guard. If these teams are willing to pay the price, we could see Garland moved as soon as this February’s deadline.
If not, the Cavaliers will have to run it back and hope for the best. With Garland now facing the possibility of missed time, the team will turn to guys like Sam Merrill, De’Andre Hunter, and Lonzo Ball to help carry the load and fill in the gaps. Unfortunately, the schedule doesn’t get any easier for Cleveland. After tonight’s showdown, the Cavs will face the 76ers again on Friday before a game against the NBA-leading Thunder on Monday. By Wednesday, the Cavaliers will be on the road for a game against the Charlotte Hornets.
