As Los Angeles Clippers newcomer Darius Garland continues to deal with a toe injury, he was traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers at the deadline in a deal that also included star James Harden. While fans await the debut of Garland in a Clippers uniform, he would speak about why he was dealt and how his injuries probably have something to do with it.
Garland's name had been in a bevy of rumors leading up to the Cavaliers' trade at the deadline, with Los Angeles being the winner of the sweepstakes. Speaking with Andscape, Garland would speak on how a trade away from Cleveland was inevitable and how the current toe injury “had a factor in it.”
“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. “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.”
Darius Garland calls the Clippers a “really good situation”
With the hopes of Garland making the Clippers compete better this season and beyond, there's no denying his talent as a star point guard in the NBA. Garland hasn't played in a game since Jan. 14 with the Cavaliers, as he speaks about how excited he is to be with Los Angeles, calling it a “really good situation.”
“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,” Garland said.
Garland is looking to return soon and help the Clippers improve as the team has a 27-28 record, ninth in the West.
