The LA Clippers have been toying with different lineups since the NBA trade deadline as the team looks for ways to incorporate their newest players.

Darius Garland, Bennedict Mathurin, and Isaiah Jackson all joined the Clippers through trades during deadline week, as James Harden and Ivica Zubac were surprisingly shipped out in the process. On Wednesday night, however, the Clippers rolled out their new-look starting lineup, which could be their lineup for the remainder of the season and the postseason if they qualify for it.

Kawhi Leonard warmed up and was upgraded to available just before the game, while Garland was upgraded to available after the team's morning shootaround. There was some concern, given the back-to-back set they're playing, that the two could miss the game.

Darius Garland started Wednesday's game alongside Derrick Jones Jr., Kawhi Leonard, John Collins, and Brook Lopez, the first time those five have ever shared the floor this season. Kris Dunn was moved to a role off the bench, with Collins replacing him in the starting lineup.

Since acquiring the three players they did at the deadline, this Clippers team has still never been whole. Darius Garland missed the first month after the trade due to heavy management of his recent toe injuries. Meanwhile, John Collins suffered two scary, neck-related injuries and missed nine games due to them.

Article Continues Below

Although the Clippers get to debut their new starting lineup on Wednesday, they're still playing this entire three-game road trip without a big piece in Bennedict Mathurin. Mathurin has played in 16 games for the Clippers this being acquired, averaging 19.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.

“We know we've got three hard games,” head coach Tyronn Lue said before Wednesday' game. “We've just got to come out and take it one by one. I know it's a back-to-back, but they've been playing hard, competing, and we've got to come out and do the same. We understand who they are. They're playing to win, they're playing for something, and we've got to be locked in.”

The Clippers have only had one lineup play more than seven games this season, and two of the players from that lineup — James Harden and Ivica Zubac — were traded in early February. Since the deadline, the Clippers have been sifting through differing starting units as they try to find what works best for them. In total, the Clippers have used 21 different starting lineups including Wednesday night.

On this three-game trip, the Clippers have the New Orleans Pelicans twice and the Dallas Mavericks one time on Saturday night before returning home for a two-game homestand against the the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors.