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Cleveland’s Darius Garland will make his 2025-26 season debut on Wednesday vs. the 76ers
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated57 minutes ago on November 04, 2025
Through seven games in 2025-26, the Cleveland Cavaliers are 4-3. The team is coming off a 117-109 victory on Wednesday vs. the Atlanta Hawks. Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs offensively with 37 points.
To begin the year, Cleveland has been without all-star PG Darius Garland. He suffered a toe injury ahead of the 2025 postseason and had offseason surgery in June 2025. The Cavaliers gave extra time for Garland to rest and recover. On Tuesday, NBA insider Shams Charania announced that Darius Garland will make his 2025-26 season debut on Wednesday vs. the 76ers.
Darius Garland is set to make his season debut on Wednesday for the Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Darius Garland will make his season debut as soon as Wednesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN. Garland, who underwent offseason surgery to repair a big toe, will be upgraded on Cavs’ injury report as he is set to return.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 4, 2025
When Darius Garland makes his season debut on Wednesday, it will officially be his seventh year in the NBA. Garland was the fifth overall pick by the Cavs in the 2019 NBA draft out of Vanderbilt. Over his seasons, Garland has appeared in 382 games and made 378 starts for Cleveland. He is a two-time all-star with the Cavaliers and averages 18.9 points and 6.7 assists per game for his career. In three of his last four seasons, Garland has averaged 20+ points per game.
Ahead of the 2025 playoff, Darius Garland suffered a toe injury. It limited how effectively he played for Cleveland in the playoffs. The Cavaliers were bounced in the second round of the postseason by the Pacers. Darius Garland had offseason surgery in June to repair his toe. Since then, the 25-year-old has been working hard to be on the court.
Darius Garland will make his season debut as soon as Wednesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/smdhFGTb4y
— SleeperCavs (@SleeperCleCavs) November 4, 2025
Despite his best efforts, Garland was not available for Cleveland’s season opener. Additionally, he’s missed their first seven games of the 2025-26 season. However, NBA insider Shams Charania announced on Tuesday afternoon that Garland will make his season debut on Wednesday for the Cavaliers. Cleveland will be at home to face the Philadelphia 76ers.
With Darius Garland back on Wednesday, the Cavaliers will have their full-time starting lineup. Along with Darlius Garland, it includes Donovan Mitchell, DeAndre Hunter, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. Sam Merrill has started in place of Garland and is off to a hot start. Merrill is averaging 17.3 points per game over four starts. The SG can be a legitimate scoring threat off the bench for head coach Kenny Atkinson. Cleveland will be excited to have Darius Garland back on Wednesday when they face the Sixers.
