Clippers Shouldn't Make Darius Garland Untouchable in Offseason Trade Talks

When the Los Angeles Clippers' season came to an end at the hands of the Golden State Warriors in the Play-In Tournament, The Athletic's Law Murray reported that Darius Garland was a lock to be with the team next season. In fact, he said that Ty Lue being the head coach and Garland being the starting point guard were the only two certainties with the team.

On paper, this makes sense. Garland was acquired at the trade deadline to be the bridge to the next era of Clippers basketball. He is already an All-Star caliber player and has more upside than any player on the roster.

Clippers Should Have No Untouchable Players This Offseason

At the same time, the Clippers are not in a position to have untouchable players. They are not close to being a title contender, and it behooves the front office not to leave any stone unturned in trade talks. The Clippers need to be flexible in how they approach roster-building, and that means a willingness to listen to any trade offers, including for Garland.

It's not like Garland is guaranteed to provide All-Star level production over the next two seasons. While he exceeded expectations after joining the Clippers at the trade deadline, injury concerns remain. He didn't play both legs of back-to-backs and was largely on a minutes restriction all season. He averaged less than 30 minutes per game and revealed that his toe has been bothering him all season.

Considering that he has had toe issues previously and underwent surgery last offseason, this is certainly concerning. Both Garland and the organization have said that the top offseason priority is to get the two-time All-Star healthy, but whether that will be possible remains to be seen.

Perhaps even more importantly, Garland wasn't very effective in the most important games of the season for the Clippers. In the two Blazers games in the final two weeks of the season, Garland averaged 18 points on 36.3% shooting from the field and had eight total turnovers. These two losses pushed the Clippers to ninth in the standings.

Garland's struggles against elite defenses are well-documented. He is an undersized point guard at six-foot-one, and he doesn't have high-end athleticism, either. Going up against length and physicality, Garland is not elite at creating advantages.

Plus, there are the defensive concerns. Garland is a poor defender whom the Clippers have to specifically scheme around. He will always have a target on his back on defense, making it hard to build a high-level playoff defense.

The 26-year-old point guard is a very valuable offensive player, to be sure. His combination of off-the-dribble shooting, passing, and ball-handling is hard to come by. Yet, he is not a proven playoff star.

As the league shifts towards more size and physicality, as demonstrated by the emergence of OKC and San Antonio, undersized, one-way players like Garland may be getting left behind.

It would be one thing if the Clippers didn't owe $42.1 million to Garland next season and $44.9 million the season after. This could be a hindrance for LA to build a sustainable winner long-term, especially considering that he will be eligible for an extension this offseason.

This isn't to say that the Clippers should trade Garland this summer. It's just to say that it would be a mistake not to listen. If there is a desperate team willing to give up significant assets for Garland, the Clippers would be wise to take advantage.

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