Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland is recovering from surgery on his left big toe. The surgery was done in early June and recovery time was expected to take four-to-five months. Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said that’s something that the team won’t rush Garland through.
“It’s going to be up to Darius and the training staff led by Steve Spiro,” Atkinson said, “I don’t expect him to, and I want him to take his time with this, and we’re not going to push it. We’re not going to rush it.”
The timeline, combined with Cleveland not pushing their starting point guard, means that Garland could miss the start of training camp. The Cavaliers are expected to open training camp in late-September or early October.
Garland missing time could mean increased reps for newly acquired backup point guard Lonzo Ball. The Cavs traded Isaac Okoro for Ball this offseason, and the veteran is expected to replace Ty Jerome in Cleveland’s rotation.
