Los Angeles Clippers and former Cleveland Cavs guard Darius Garland reflected on his trade at this season’s deadline in a recent interview. In the Cavs’ pursuit to land All-Star James Harden, Garland was the odd man out as the front office pulled the trigger on sending Darius and a second-round pick to the Clippers.
Garland opened up about his experience with the Clippers after the Cavs’ trade at the deadline, he said, per the Ball In The Family podcast.
“It’s been great. Coming into a system where I can actually be me. Have the ball in my hand for the majority of the game, and actually have control and pace of the game,” Garland said. “And just be like a second coach out there, literally. It was really good. It was fun while I was out there playing for sure. I got my joy back.”
Garland also talked about what it was like playing alongside All-Star Kawhi Leonard.
“He’s a cool dude. He be chillin. He’s actually funny as hell,” Garland added. “But on the court, he’s a dog. Everybody know that. He’s about his business. He’s about his money. He wants to win games. That’s all it is with him.”
Garland averaged 19.9 points on 47.1% shooting, including 43.8% from deep, 6.4 assists, and 1.2 steals in 19 games for the Clippers.
Darius Garland responds to Cavs’ trade to Clippers
Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Clippers guard Darius Garland had no harsh feelings toward the Cavs for their move at the trade deadline. For Garland, he’s appreciative of the opportunities the Cavs granted him, he said, shortly after the deal was completed, per Andscape’s Marc Spears.
“I tip my hat off to the whole Cleveland organization. They did put a lot in me, invested a lot in me, and took a lot of risks. So, I tip my hat off to them. But now I’m in another good situation over here in L.A. trying to do something, trying to rebuild this whole brand of the Clippers, and try to make it one of the biggest teams in L.A.,” Garland said.
While the Clippers’ season ended in the Play-In Tournament, the Cavs’ playoff run came to an end at the hands of the Knicks in the form of a sweep in this year’s Eastern Conference Finals.