Nuggets Won't Get to See Darius Garland's Clippers Debut

It looks like the injured Darius Garland won't be ready for the Los Angeles Clippers' first game— and what would be his official debut with the team— after the All-Star break against the Denver Nuggets.

According to a post on X from Law Murray of The Athletic, Garland will not be ready to play against the Nuggets on Thursday as he continues to recover from his injured right toe, and will be considered week-to-week moving forward.

"I'm told that LA Clippers point guard Darius Garland is practicing on a limited basis to manage his surgically-repaired left foot toe. Garland will not play tomorrow vs Nuggets or Friday at Los Angeles. Status for Sunday vs Magic to be determined."

"I'm told that Darius Garland is week-to-week. Expected to play this season, but debut will likely be in March. Clippers want Garland to be fully over the toe injury when he returns to play."

I'm told that LA Clippers point guard Darius Garland is practicing on a limited basis to manage his surgically-repaired left foot toe.

Garland will not play tomorrow vs Nuggets or Friday at Los Angeles. Status for Sunday vs Magic to be determined.
— Law Murray 🏴‍☠️ (@LawMurrayTheNU) February 18, 2026

Clippers to Be Without Darius Garland vs. Nuggets

Garland was sent to the Clippers as a part of LA's blockbuster move with the Cleveland Cavaliers at the trade deadline to ship out James Harden, thus bringing in the 26-year-old guard to become a key piece of their future, albeit starting his tenure with an injury.

And while there was some initial hope that Garland would be ready to go from that foot injury, coming out on the other side of the All-Star break, it appears that the Clippers are playing things a bit more cautiously regarding his availability moving forward this season.

Jan 26, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) stands on the court during a timeout in the third quarter against the Orlando Magic at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

During the 26 games Garland had played this season for Cleveland, he was averaging 18.0 points and 6.9 assists in just over 30 minutes a night. And while that presence would be ideal to have in the Clippers' backcourt, it'll keep Kawhi Leonard on an island by himself, which, for the meantime, has resulted in some impressive individual performances from the 2019 Finals MVP.

For the Nuggets, that certainly makes things easier for their up-and-down defense coming out of the extended break, as the first matchup of their post-All-Star stretch will now be done without Garland in the opposing backcourt.

The reported extended absence also means that Denver won't get a chance to see Garland in a Clippers uniform until the 2026-27 season, considering their final matchup against LA lies ahead on Thursday.

So far through the 2025-26 campaign, the Nuggets are 2-0 against the Clippers, presenting the opportunity for a season series sweep heading into Thursday.

The Nuggets will still be without some firepower themselves, though, as two of their top forwards, Peyton Watson and Aaron Gordon, are still sidelined with their respective hamstring injuries. And with both out, their absence might leave Denver's rotation hobbled until closer to March once both are able to complete their rehab.

But as for Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, both will be refreshed and ready to go against LA after the week off from the regular season, and will try to will the Nuggets back to their consistency from earlier this season after rattling off a 5-5 record in their last 10 games.