Darius Garland is expected to make his season debut against the 76ers
Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star running back Darius Garland is expects to make his season debut Wednesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
After he passed off-season surgery in June to repair a toe injury which limited him in the playoffs last season, Garland was forced to miss the preseason and the start of the 2025-26 NBA season. In his absence, the Cavs went 4-3, with added pressure on the shoulders of All-NBA guard Donovan Mitchell to carry out the heavy lifting for the team.
Garland has made huge strides in recent weeks, and the Cavs knew he wouldn’t miss much time to start the year.
On Oct. 24, league sources told ClutchPoints Garland was targeting a potential comeback after surgery on his left toe as early as the first week of November. Whether he would return then was up to the Cavs medical team to give him the green light to continue.
That green light was given later Garland spent time training and fighting with Cleveland’s G League team, and he will now very likely make his season debut Wednesday night against the 76ers.
This is a significant boost for the Cavaliers, not only because of Garland’s production on the court, but also because this team has been very thin to start the year.
Along with Garland missing the team’s first seven games, Max Struss has also been ruled out indefinitely after surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot. Struss is not expected to return to court in Cleveland until after the calendar turns to 2026.
Sam Merrill, who took Garland’s place in the starting rotation, is battling a hip problem and starting center Jarrett Allen has missed two straight games with fracture without displacement in the left ring finger. Not to mention, Mitchell missed one game and was on the injury report with a strained hamstring.
Garland’s return couldn’t come at a better time for the Cavaliers, especially since their offense ranks fifth in the NBA through the first seven games.
Garland is expected to be eased back into action and face a minutes limit in the first few games back from injury. The Cavs and the head coach Kenny Atkinson always prioritizes long-term health first and foremost to be ready for the playoffs, and the same philosophy will apply to Garland when he returns Wednesday night against the 76ers.
The Cavaliers will soon make Garland’s return official.
2025-11-04 18:09:00
