Darius Garland sees trade to Los Angeles Clippers as a ‘good situation’

Ex-Cleveland Cavaliers star Darius Garland was initially “kind of skeptical” when he learned he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. That mentality changed once he put it all in perspective and noticed the sun was shining — literally and figuratively — in “big market” Los Angeles the next morning.

“I’m super excited about L.A. life,” Garland told Andscape. “The first day, I literally called my mom and said, ‘This is the first time I’ve seen sun in February.’ Waking up to the sun instantly changed my whole mood. I woke up earlier, getting a little bit of sunlight before I headed out to practice, just enjoying the scenery, riding around a little bit.

“I already know the layout of the land. I’ve been here for a couple years in the summertime. So, I’m pretty used to seeing a lot of faces, and I’ve connected with a couple people. I’m excited being in a big market. And just being in L.A. playing for the Clippers is one thing. So, I’m super excited for it.”

The Cavaliers dealt Garland and a second-round pick to the Clippers for 11-time NBA All-Star guard James Harden on Feb. 3. The Cavaliers went all-in on trying to win a championship this season with Harden, the 36-year-old future Hall of Famer, pairing him in the backcourt with All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. Garland is 10 years younger and a two-time All-Star, but he has been limited to 26 games this season due to a surgically repaired left toe and a recent right toe sprain. He has not played since Jan. 14.

After coming to terms with the trade, Garland became excited about playing with All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard, being a mentor to the younger players like center Yanic Konan Niederhäuser and landing a bigger offensive role.

“I’m good with the change,” Garland said. “When it first happened, I was kind of skeptical. But I couldn’t turn down this opportunity to play with another Hall of Famer [Leonard] and having a ball in my hands damn near 99 percent of the time.”

Garland has not played since Jan. 14 but told Andscape he plans to make his Clippers debut “really, really soon.” The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder has averaged 18.0 points and 6.9 assists in 26 games this season. He said the Clippers’ medical staff will determine when he makes his debut.

Garland, who missed four playoff games in 2025, believes his toe issues played a “big part” in him being traded from Cleveland.

“It was going to happen regardless, either at the [trade] deadline or this summer. [My agent] Rich [Paul] had that conversation with me last summer,” Garland said. “But yeah, the toe definitely had a factor in it. They didn’t know if I was going to be healthy for this season, which I will be. But they thought that James had something that I didn’t, I believe. He has experience in playoffs and All-Star numbers still to this day, even though he wasn’t an All-Star this year. But yeah, they want to win right now. They have a group, too. And I guess I really wasn’t part of the plan.

“But now, I’m over here in a really good situation. I have the ball in my hand a lot more where I could do me a little bit more. I have another superstar [Leonard] next to me. I can go get it as well.”

Leonard and the Clippers are currently under NBA investigation regarding allegations that his four-year, $28 million endorsement deal with fintech company Aspiration was deemed a “no-show” arrangement designed to circumvent the salary cap. Garland said he was “out of the loop” on that investigation. He said the Clippers have not spoken to him about it.

Leonard entered the NBA All-Star break averaging 27.9 points (eighth in the league), 6.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. He is under contract with the Clippers through the 2026-27 season; Garland’s contract runs through the 2027-28 season.

Garland said he has had conversations with Leonard and plans to make a concerted effort to build their rapport on and off the court.

“Me and Kawhi have a little bit of relationship with New Balance, but it wasn’t too much,” Garland said. “Kawhi, everybody knows he’s super quiet. He talks when you talk to him. So, I’m starting to engage in conversations with him a little bit. I’m trying to sit next to him on the plane — trying to sit next to him as much on the bench when he comes out the game just to see where his mindset is during that time. Kawhi is cool, man. Everybody thinks he’s super quiet, but he’s a really outgoing guy. He’s funny as hell.

“He’s just a regular ball player. He’s a regular human. We all are, but he loves to hoop, which I love to do as well. So, we got that same type of chemistry. We got that same type of flow, and he just wants to win basketball games. So, we’re on the same type of time right now.”

Garland was drafted by the Cavaliers with the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft. He helped turned the franchise around from rebuilding to winning an Eastern Conference-best 64 games last season and making three consecutive playoff appearances. Garland ranks third in Cavaliers franchise history in assists (2,738) and 3-pointers made (956), and ninth in points (7,671).

Garland said he has “no hard feelings” toward the Cavs and the trade was a “good change.”

“I tip my hat off to the whole Cleveland organization. They did put a lot in me, invested a lot in me and took a lot of risk. So, I tip my hat off to them. But now I’m in another good situation over here in L.A. trying to do something, trying to rebuild this whole brand of the Clippers, and try to make it one of the biggest teams in L.A.,” Garland said.

The Cavaliers traded him to the Clippers the day before they faced each other at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Garland had his news conference at halftime of the Cavaliers’ 124-91 win. Afterward, Garland said reality set in on the trade when he was given warm goodbyes by his former Cavaliers teammates, and he also spent time with them in the visiting locker room.

“It was kind of awkward. And then I couldn’t sit on the bench either, so it was just like, ‘Damn, I’m really playing for both sides, kind of,’ ” Garland said. “The trade just happened yesterday. I’m with the Clippers, but I still got a lot of love for the people in Cleveland. But it really hit me when after the game everybody came over and gave me the last little hug. The entire team came over and dapped me up and was like, ‘Man, it was good seeing you. See you next time we play y’all.’ I’m like, ‘Damn, that s— really happened.’

“So, that was probably the hardest part. But then on the other hand, I go in the Clippers’ locker room and everybody was super excited, and I was excited to see and meet everybody, be around the team. So, that was a positive. My parents got to see the Intuit Dome and meet everybody as well. So, it’s a good change.”

Garland is a second-generation Clipper. His father, Winston, played for the franchise from 1989-1991. Darius Garland is also familiar with Los Angeles because Paul and his representation agency, Klutch Sports, are based there and he often spends offseasons working out there. Along with enjoying the sun, Garland looks forward to getting heavily involved in fashion and the growing artificial intelligence industry in Los Angeles.

On the court, Garland wants to build the Clippers’ brand in Los Angeles and said he has received a warm welcome from their fan base locally. He is “super excited” about playing in the tech savvy Intuit Dome in front of the boisterous Clippers faithful in “The Wall” section.

“I can’t wait to play in [the Intuit Dome],” Garland said. “It’s crazy with all the technology, even the scoreboard and the Jumbotron, that’s 360 [degrees] all around the arena. That’s super dope. ‘The Wall’ is crazy. ‘The Wall’ gives me college vibes with the student section and everybody standing up for the entire game. Just to play in front of the Clippers’ fan base, ‘Clipper Nation.’ They show a lot of love and they’re super excited.

“Even when I walk around in L.A., I see a lot of Clippers stuff. Not going to lie. I didn’t expect to see a lot of Clippers stuff and a lot of fans coming up telling me, ‘Congratulations,’ they ‘can’t wait until I get back on the floor,’ taking pictures. And just little stuff [like that] is super cool to have in a big city like this.”

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