Darius Garland could miss the start of Cavs training camp due to toe surgery

This past season, the Cavaliers finished 64-18 in the Eastern Conference. That was good enough for the #1 seed in the East playoffs. However, Cleveland lost in the conference semi-finals to Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers. 

The Cavs were not at full strength for their playoff run. One player who was dealing with an injury was All-Star PG Darius Garland. He suffered a toe injury late in the regular season, and it lingered into the playoffs. Garland had toe surgery in June, and there is concern about his availability for training camp. Members of the Cavs are preparing as if the Galand will not be ready for training camp in the fall.

Darius Garland could miss time in 2025-26 due to toe surgery

#Cavs Darius Garland told @clevelanddotcom that he isn’t ready to put a date on his return following toe surgery. But at least one member of the organization is preparing as if he won’t be ready for the start of training camp. https://t.co/e5e2N7JUCn

— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) August 5, 2025

With the fifth pick in the 2019 NBA draft, the Cavaliers selected Darius Garland out of Vanderbilt. He’s played in 382 games for Cleveland and has 378 career starts. In 2024-25, Garland played and started a career-high 75 games. For the second time in six seasons, Garland was voted an all-star. This past season, he averaged 20.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.

Unfortunately, Darius Garland suffered a toe injury on March 23 vs. the Jazz. The 25-year-old tried playing through the pain, but he aggravated the injury one month later. Garland was forced to miss four straight playoff games for the Cavs. On May 9, Garland tried returning to the lineup, but he was visibly not a full strength.

The latest from Fedor on Garland’s injury and recovery process.

So, uh, not having a toe kinda sucks — no?

🔗 https://t.co/C8eg3RpAtI pic.twitter.com/t4OJnmfkXJ

— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) August 4, 2025

That forced Garland to have offseason surgery on his toe. The recovery timeline is four to five months. Darius Garland had surgery in June. Cavaliers insiders have reported concerns about Garland’s availability for training camp. Recently, Chris Fedor said some members of the organization are preparing for Garland to be unavailable for training camp this fall.

Head coach Kenny Atkinson also under the belief that Darius Darland will not be available in a few months. Atkinson noted this is not his medical opinion. He’ll wait for the training staff and Garland to make that decision. Cleveland would rather have Garland miss time early on rather than rush him back and risk further injury.