New Los Angeles Clippers guard Darius Garland said the Cleveland Cavaliers’ decision to send him to California in exchange for James Harden underlined the team’s win-now mindset and confirmed he “really wasn’t part of the plan.”
The deal was finalized just before the trade deadline, shifting the 24-year-old All-Star to Los Angeles while bringing the veteran Harden to a Cavaliers roster looking to break through the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Speaking to Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Garland noted Cleveland’s uncertainty over his lingering toe injury and its desire for immediate postseason success. “It was going to happen regardless, either at the deadline or this summer,” he said. “They didn’t know if I was going to be healthy for this season—which I will be. They thought that James had something that I didn’t, I believe. … I guess I really wasn’t a part of the plan.”
Garland emphasized he harbors no resentment toward his former club. “I tip my hat off to the whole Cleveland organization,” he added, acknowledging the franchise’s investment in him since drafting him fifth overall in 2019. “But now I’m in another good situation over here in L.A. trying to rebuild this whole brand of the Clippers.”
Cleveland has gone unbeaten since Harden’s arrival, entering Friday’s road game against the Charlotte Hornets on a streak that has also boosted teammates Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen. The Cavaliers visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday as they continue a push to improve on consecutive early playoff exits.
Source: Hoops Wire
