What Darius Garland Said After Being Traded by Cleveland Cavaliers

Former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland was in a unique position during the game between his former team and his new team, the Los Angeles Clippers, while on the sidelines with a toe injury.

Garland has been with the Cavs for every game since he was chosen with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft ... that is, until now. Garland was traded earlier this week by the Cavs to the Clippers for James Harden in a move to shake things up before the deadline. Garland took to social media to send a goodbye message to the Cleveland faithful that has stood by him throughout his career.

"Dear Cleveland,

I'll never forget the night I was drafted to Cleveland back in 2019, and everything I've gained since. This city taught me more than I could have 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 moments with me forever," Garland wrote in a tribute post on social media.

CLEVELAND, Thank You! 🫶🏾 pic.twitter.com/gvstuNK3pw
— Darius Garland (@dariusgarland22) February 4, 2026

Darius Garland Makes Move to Clippers

Garland also shared his thoughts on the move and how he wasn't surprised by the trade.

"I knew about it. It wasn't a shock, though," Garland told the Associated Press. "It's the business of basketball. Cleveland was great to me and my family, and I have respect for all of those guys over there. ... Seven years was a really long time, and it was great. I'm glad I'm here now. The next chapter in my book."

Former Cavs head coach and Clippers boss Ty Lue is excited to see how the Clippers' dynamic changes with Garland instead of Harden on the floor.

"He's different from James and we can play different with a faster pace," Lue said via the Associated Press. "We can play him off the ball more. It's going to be exciting. I've known DG for a while and having a young point guard under my tutelage, I think it's the first time I have had one since Kyrie [Irving]."

The Cavs beat the Clippers by 33 points, 124-91, but neither Harden nor Garland participated in the game. Harden could make his Cavs debut in the team's next game against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday at 10 p.m. ET inside the Golden 1 Center. Fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.