'Elite by so many metrics': Darius Garland, Cavs agree to rookie max contract extension

As Darius Garland and the Cavaliers agreed on a rookie max contract extension on Saturday, the voice of Kevin Durant may have been ringing in Garland’s ears.

Garland’s breakout season in 2021-22 was sparked by an invitation to USA Basketball’s Select Team and his subsequent call-up to play in exhibitions with Team USA before it left Las Vegas for the Tokyo Olympics. That’s where Garland found inspiration from Durant, a 12-time All-Star, two-time champion and 2014 league MVP.

“Just talking with Kevin Durant and a lot of the guys, they encouraged him and pushed him to play his game,” Garland’s mother, Felicia, said during her son’s youth basketball camp at Richmond Heights High School on June 4. “I was talking to Kevin’s mom, Wanda, she told me that Kevin told Darius, ‘Shoot the ball.' That’s what he’s really good at, so shoot the ball.

"I think that helped boost his spirits and gave him the confidence he really needed.”

Garland, 22, became a first-time All-Star and cemented his status as one of the Cavs’ cornerstones, along with center Jarrett Allen and rookie center/forward Evan Mobley.

The league office has taken notice, as Garland got a cameo in one of its “Playoffs on NBA Lane” commercials, saying, "We're making The Land believe again." He played dodge basketball with the host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live" on its "NBA Finals Game Night” show before Game 2. Garland also drew praise from LeBron James and Steph Curry.

On Saturday, Garland reaped the benefits of his hard work over the past three seasons.

Garland and the Cavs agreed to terms on a five-year, $193 million rookie max contract extension that could be worth as much as $231 million, a league source confirmed. The deal — the largest in Cavs history — was foreshadowed by President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman in his season wrap-up press conference.

“He's going to be in Cleveland for a long time and he embraces it here. He loves it here. We're fortunate that he's a Cavalier,” Altman said on April 19.

Darius Garland was a first-round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft

Garland's new contract, which takes effect in 2023-24, will pay him $33 million in its first season and rises to $44 million in its final season of 2027-28, according to his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports. If Garland makes All-NBA in 2023, those numbers start at $40 million and climb to $53 million.

The fifth overall pick in 2019 after a knee injury limited him to five games at Vanderbilt, Garland enjoyed his breakthrough season in 2021-22. He played in 68 games (all starts) as the Cavs went 44-38 — their 22-game improvement the second-best in franchise history. Garland posted career highs in points (21.7), assists (8.6), rebounds (3.3), steals (1.3), field goal percentage (.462), two-point percentage (.512), free throw percentage (.892) and minutes (35.7).

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Garland’s father, Winston, who played for five NBA teams over seven seasons starting in 1987, saw that stellar production coming.

“I did. It started last summer with the USA invite,” Winston Garland said on June 4. “After that, I hadn’t seen him that focused since probably his junior year in high school. A focus and a determination like I’ve never seen. I knew he was going to have a really good year and just keep building on it.”

Garland scored a career-high 41 points in a road victory over the Indiana Pacers on March 8 and handed out a career-high 19 assists on in a loss at Philadelphia on March 4. He tied for fourth in the NBA in point-assist double-doubles with 29 and notched 42 games of 20-plus points.

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The Cavs were eliminated in the play-in tournament with losses to the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks. They might have achieved their goal of a top six seed in the East if backup point guard Ricky Rubio and guard Collin Sexton had not suffered season-ending knee injuries, which left Garland running on fumes at season’s end. He was bothered by a lower back injury in 2022, but played through it.

“He was elite by so many metrics,” Altman said in April. “He was ninth in the league in net rating, on/off court. He impacted winning on such an amazing level, it was really hard to not have him on the court.

“I’m one of the rare people in the world that has probably watched every minute of Darius Garland basketball dating back to Vanderbilt when he played 4½ games. So when people ask are you surprised about this jump, I'm not because I've seen his flashes early in his career and even in his much-maligned rookie year.

"The creativity, the imagination, he's just an exciting player.”

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Garland has repeatedly expressed his love for Cleveland and Cavs fans, and fans have returned the love. Garland was mobbed by the 250 attendees when he walked onto the courts at his camp. Winston Garland said the city reminds his son of his hometown of Gary, Indiana.

“He just enjoys the people, the fans are second to none,” Winston Garland said. “They get on you when you’re not doing well, but they also cheer like crazy for you when you’re doing well. I think that’s fair and he does, too. He loves Cleveland and the people here, and the organization has been outstanding.”

Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Cavs at www.beaconjournal.com/cavs. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Darius Garland, Cavs agree to rookie max contract extension