Just a few hours before the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers tip off at Intuit Dome, Darius Garland has penned a heartfelt goodbye letter to the organization that took a chance on him and the city that adopted him for seven years. In a shocking move, the Cavs traded Garland for James Harden on Monday. It was made official on Wednesday evening.
“Dear Cleveland, I'll never forget the night I was drafted to Cleveland back in 2019 and everything I've gained since,” Garland wrote. “This city taught me more than I could've imagined. To the coaches, staff, front office, the Gilbert family, my teammates, and the fans — thank you for the love and support. Cleveland will always be a second home, and I'll carry these memories with me forever. – Always Love, 10.”
CLEVELAND, Thank You! 🫶🏾 pic.twitter.com/gvstuNK3pw
— Darius Garland (@dariusgarland22) February 4, 2026
Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman released a statement soon after Garland's.
“We deeply appreciate what Darius Garland has meant to this franchise and the city of Cleveland,” Altman said. “Over the past seven seasons, Darius grew into an All-Star, a leader, and the heartbeat of our team. This decision was not made lightly, as Darius consistently represented the Cavaliers and our community with grace and joy that resonated with his teammates and our fans, both at Rocket Arena and across the NBA.
“We are incredibly grateful for everything he has given this organization. The difficulty of this trade reflects the utmost respect we have for him, and we wish him nothing but success as he begins the next chapter of his career with the Los Angeles Clippers.”
Garland is now set to join a Clippers squad that his father, Winston, played for in 1990-91. He is reportedly expected to return to the floor after the NBA All-Star break, as he continues to recover from a right great toe sprain. Prior to that injury, Garland had been rounding into form, getting his feet wet, and feeling healthier from the same setback on the left toe he had surgery on and reaggravated at different points this season.
Meanwhile, the Cavs have moved on from Garland and the Core Four era, which reached its peak last season at 64-18 as the top seed in the league. Cleveland went to the playoffs the last three years and made the Play-In Tournament the season before that.
In his seven-and-a-half seasons with Cleveland, Garland averaged 18.8 points, 6.7 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 33.1 minutes per game in 408 total appearances. He shot 45.3% from the field, including a 38.6% clip from distance and an 86.7% hit rate at the free-throw line.
Garland, who was the longest-tenured Cavalier, leaves as the third-best three-point shooter in franchise history (956 makes), behind LeBron James and Kevin Love. He has the third-most total assists (2,738) behind LeBron and Mark Price, and is top-10 in the record books in field-goals made (2,805), and points scored (7,671).
