Darius Garland Says Trade to Clippers Restored His Joy
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LOS ANGELES — Darius Garland says the mid-season deal that sent him from Cleveland to the Los Angeles Clippers has rekindled his passion for the game.
Appearing on the “Ball in the Family” podcast, the 26-year-old point guard described his transition to the Clippers after February’s trade for James Harden as seamless. “Coming to a system where I can actually be me, have the ball in my hand for the majority of the game and actually have control of the pace … I got my joy back,” he said.
Garland averaged a 29.8% usage rate in 19 regular-season games with Los Angeles, a jump from his workload in Cleveland after the Cavaliers acquired Donovan Mitchell in 2022. While still an All-Star in 2025, Garland had ceded part of his play-making duties to Mitchell following career highs of 27.8% usage, 21.7 points and 8.6 assists per game in 2021-22.
The Clippers were eliminated in this spring’s play-in tournament, forcing Garland to watch his former team reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since he entered the league in 2019. Even so, he expressed no regret about leaving the Cavaliers, emphasizing the freedom he now enjoys in Los Angeles.
Garland is under contract for two more guaranteed seasons, and the organization has signaled he is a central part of its long-term plans. However, speculation about his role surfaced after the Clippers landed the No. 5 pick in last month’s draft lottery, a selection that could bring another lead guard such as Darius Acuff, Mikel Brown, Kingston Flemings or Keaton Wagler.
Asked broadly about sharing the backcourt, Garland referenced his previous pairings with Collin Sexton and later Mitchell in Cleveland. “They’re going to say whatever. We’ve got two guards that are ‘smaller,’ so we’re just going to go out there and hoop and try to win as many games as we can,” he said.
Source: Hoops Rumors
