3: Darius Garland
Darius Garland was inconsistent in Cleveland’s first-round playoff series against New York, with his best game undoubtedly coming in the Cavaliers’ lone win. Garland dropped 32 points (26 in the first half) in his team’s Game 2 107-90 rout over the Knicks.
Unlike Jalen Brunson, Garland has been named an All-Star once before, in 2022. Cleveland fans thought Garland was also snubbed from being an All-Star in 2023. He finished the regular season averaging a near career-high 21.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 7.8 assists in 69 games, shooting 46.2% from the floor and 41% from three.
Last summer, the Cavaliers signed Garland to a five-year extension worth up to $231 million ($197 million guaranteed). He will make eight million more than Brunson in 2023-24 ($34 million) and 12 million more in 2024-25 ($36.7 million). In Garland’s final year of his contract, he’ll make $44.9 million.
Garland could be in store for another solid season in 2023-24, but if non-Cavaliers fans had to pick between having him or Brunson or their team, the majority would go with Brunson. Keep in mind which player outperformed the other just a few months ago.