Report: Garland to make season debut vs. 76ers

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland will make his first appearance of the season Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania.

Garland missed the first seven games of the year recovering from offseason surgery on his big toe.

The two-time All-Star was Cleveland's second-leading scorer last season with 20.6 points per game. He also led the team in assists, averaging 6.7 over 75 starts.

The Cavaliers have felt Garland's absence in their offense. Kenny Atkinson's squad topped the league in offensive efficiency last season, scoring 121 points per 100 possessions. However, the team has failed to match that pace in 2025-26, posting a 111.3 offensive rating through seven games. That ranks as the NBA's fifth-worst mark, ahead of only the New Orleans Pelicans, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, and Dallas Mavericks - all of whom share a combined four wins.

Garland initially suffered his toe injury in March but didn't miss extended time during the final stretch of the regular season. However, he re-aggravated the injury in Game 2 of Cleveland's first-round series versus the Miami Heat and missed the next four playoff contests. He returned in Game 3 of the second round against the Indiana Pacers but was noticeably limited in his movement as Indiana won the series in five games.