Darius

Garland

Leonard once again led the way offensively for the Clippers, but he didn’t have much help in the first game since James Harden was traded to the Cavaliers. And with new addition Darius Garland recovering from a toe injury, Leonard will be required to do even more of the heavy lifting. The Clippers don’t own their 2026 first-round pick, as it goes to Oklahoma City as part of the Paul George trade. One would think this would dissuade the Clippers from tanking, but Garland’s injury timeline may factor into the path the team takes.

Cleveland’s “Core Four” is no more, as the team has reportedly moved Garland to the Clippers. While he does have an All-Star Game appearance to his credit, foot injuries have been an issue for Garland the last two seasons. A left big toe injury limited him late last season, and he’s currently out with a right big toe injury. During his final practice as a Cavalier on Tuesday, Garland was limited to individual work, so fantasy managers will likely have to wait for the point guard to make his Clippers’ debut. In the meantime, Kris Dunn and Kobe Sanders have higher fantasy ceilings.

Garland has missed Cleveland’s last nine games with a right great toe injury. He was able to do some individual work during Tuesday’s practice, but a return to game action appears to be a way off for the Cavaliers’ point guard. New additions Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder practiced fully on Tuesday and did some extra work afterward. They’ll help the Cavaliers account for Garland’s absence on Wednesday against the Clippers.

Garland has already been ruled out for Monday’s game against the Magic, but was on the floor earlier in the day, according to Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson, who also declined to comment on whether or not Garland will play in Cleveland’s upcoming five-game west coast road trip. The seventh-year pro has had a tough time staying healthy this season, having only appeared in 26 games thus far. Yet his return to the floor is noteworthy and could be seen as encouraging news for fantasy basketball managers.

Mitchell and the Cavaliers were coasting through the first half of Wednesday’s game, but they were unable to close out the Hornets until the final seconds. With Darius Garland (toe) out, the Cavaliers have to rely more on Mitchell as a playmaker instead of just looking to him for scoring. He’s recorded six assists or more in three of his last four games, and that should be a common occurrence while Garland is out.

Garland sat out Friday, and Jaylon Tyson posted a career-high 39 points and the assist to Evan Mobley for his game-winning dunk. Tyson has been excellent when given additional run this season, and he makes for a priority add off the waiver wire. Craig Porter Jr. could see some additional run as well.

Garland is dealing with a sore right great toe, which he injured during Wednesday’s win over the 76ers. It was the left great toe that he injured late last season, ultimately undergoing surgery to address the issue in the summer. Garland’s absence means more playing time for Craig Porter Jr., and Donovan Mitchell will spend even more time on the ball.

Garland injured his right foot during the third quarter of Wednesday’s game and has been ruled out for the rest of the night. If there’s a positive, it’s that this isn’t the same foot that required offseason surgery. Craig Porter Jr.'s playing time should increase for the rest of the game, while Donovan Mitchell takes on an even more prominent role as a scorer and playmaker. Garland finished with 20 points, three rebounds, seven assists, one steal and three three-pointers.

Garland is averaging 17.7 points per game this season, but has scored at least 22 points in three of his last four games. The 25-year-old point guard has had at least six assists in eight consecutive games. Garland has provided seventh-round per game value over the last two weeks, which isn’t far from his sixth-round preseason ADP.

It has been a rough season overall for Garland, but he has had some incredibly efficient performances lately. This was the second time in his last three games that he scored at least 20 points and six assists while shooting better than 60 percent from the floor and not turning the ball over. Garland hasn’t played to his sixth round ADP, but he is more than capable of producing to that level for the rest of the season.