Darius Garland said the Cavaliers could have won the championship if he had stayed healthy last season:

"We would have won the championship, I'm very sure of that ...... The ceiling on this team's talent is amazing, and the willpower we've shown on offense and defense is unparalleled."

Garland underwent surgery on his left big toe in June to repair an injury that has plagued him throughout the 2025 postseason, after the Cavaliers were knocked out of the Eastern Conference semifinals by the Slippers, 4-1, last season.