Analyst predicts what Spurs' package for Garland could look like

The discussions surrounding who could be the Spurs' future point guard continue to add more gas to the fire. Cavaliers guard Darius Garland, who is expected to be made available for trade this offseason, is the newest consideration for the next big Spurs floor general.

First of all, this is no trade to sleep on. He plays a similar style of basketball to the Hawks guard, Trae Young. Garland is one of the shiftiest players in the game and has a deep bag of tricks he can use to shake off opposing defenders.

The most notable part about a potential acquisition is that his price would be significantly lower than what it cost to land Young. His contract resembles Trae's, but Darius has a slightly smaller salary, which gives the Spurs just a little more flexibility going into free agency.

What could a package for Garland look like?

Analyst Jake Weinbach ignited the spark that started the frenzy yesterday surrounding the Garland rumors, saying that league circles are anticipating the Spurs being 'legitimately interested' in the Vanderbilt alumni.

This potential package for a former all-star guard who needs a fresh start would be significantly cheaper than what the Spurs would have to give up for Trae Young. Both Keldon Johnson and Malaki Branham struggled to be consistent off the bench. Sometimes, they had their notable games, but they struggled to score the basketball and make good decisions on a nightly basis. So this allows the two to spread their wings in new threads.

In this mock trade, the Spurs send Johnson and Branham alongside the eighth overall pick in this year's draft.

Not only does it keep the core together while giving three players fresh starts who desperately need them, but it also allows the Spurs to continue to hold onto the rights of Atlanta's next three first-round picks. Those include unprotected picks in 2025 and 2027 and the right to swap picks in 2026 if the Hawks' pick happens to be higher than the Spurs' pick.

Garland is no trade to say no to

Many forget that Garland was once one of the top point guards in the league, a versatile scorer, and an established passer. In 2021-22 and 2022-23, Garland was seventh in total assists in back-to-back seasons. One of the critical pieces of that was Jarrett Allen, who was sixth and fourth in dunks during those two seasons. So, if Darius can be one of the top playmakers with six-foot-nine Jarrett Allen, imagine what he would do with seven-foot-four Victor Wembanyama.

Since Cleveland sold the house for former Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, the pairing of Garland and Mitchell has struggled to coexist on the floor. Both players need the ball in their hands to generate offense, and since Garland's role has diminished since Donovan's arrival, he's struggled to retain that all-star caliber form he once had.

The Cavs are in a position where they have to choose between one or the other, and we all know that it will be Donovan Mitchell, who only has one more guaranteed year on his deal before his player option. Cleveland wants him to refrain from testing the waters; they want to secure a long-term deal now, which would require sending Garland off to free up cap space for Mitchell's big extension.

General Manager Brian Wright should be crawling to Cleveland to close on the opportunity of landing a big-time point guard that many forgot is an all-star-caliber player. With the offseason approaching closer every day, we could soon begin to see dominoes fall for the direction the Spurs are heading this summer.