Assessing Darius Garland’s Fit With the Clippers After Blockbuster Trade

How will the Clippers' newest piece work with his new team after Tuesday's trade?

Nov 23, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) drives to the basket against Los Angeles Clippers guard Kobe Sanders (4) during the first half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

In case you missed it, the Los Angeles Clippers finalized a trade on Tuesday night to send James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for point guard Darius Garland and a future second-round draft pick.

It was a shocking development for the Clippers franchise in the midst of a great turnaround, having gone 17-5 in their past 22 games to propel themselves into playoff contention after starting the season 6-21.

James Harden had been a key part of their offense, as he and Kawhi Leonard had helped the team stabilize their season, and the former was arguably an All-Star Game snub, averaging 25.4 points and 8.1 assists this season.

But even though Harden is a significant and unexpected loss -- before the developments on Monday -- the addition of Darius Garland should be welcomed for the Clippers.

Darius Garland Could Seamlessly Fill James Harden's Void

The 26-year-old Garland has been one of the more underrated guards in the NBA since he was drafted in 2019, and he has established himself as a reliable number two option when he has been paired with Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland.

As to how he'll fit offensively, Garland's been a reliable shooter from deep in his career, as he's hit 38.6 percent from three, he's been a willing distributor, and most importantly for the Clippers, he's proven himself to be effective in the pick and roll with Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen.

He should be able to fit in seamlessly with Clippers center Ivica Zubac in LA, and there shouldn't be much of an adjustment, given that the team had already used Harden and Zubac in the pick-and-roll a lot when Harden's isolation wasn't taking over the offense.

That said, Garland was able to create his own shot in Cleveland, and his addition should be able to open up the offense a lot more and make it less one-dimensional. Even though Harden was successful offensively, when his shots weren't falling, the offense was stagnant.

Garland coming into the fold should also be a boon for Kawhi Leonard. The 2026 All-Star selection was already averaging a career high in points this season at 27.6 per game, but he could get more open shots off Garland and Zubac's two-man game.

Essentially, if the defense collapses onto Zubac to stop him from getting open dunks, Leonard should be able to get space for his efficient shot. Leonard is shooting nearly 50 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from three this season, and open corner threes look to be available for The Claw once Garland makes his Clippers debut.

For all of Harden's skill offensively, Garland is definitely an upgrade on the defensive end for LA. Garland doesn't have the size and strength of Harden, but he gives more consistent effort on that end of the floor.

Even though the trade came together abruptly, look for the deal to be a net positive for the Clippers for this season and beyond as they continue a playoff chase this year and build a core for the future, a core that Garland -- under contract through the 2027-2028 season -- will certainly be a big part of.