Newly acquired LA Clippers guard Darius Garland is not expected to make his team debut until March as the organization continues managing soreness in his surgically repaired left great toe, league sources told The Athletic.
The Clippers are taking a cautious approach, prioritizing Garland’s long-term health over a quick return.
Garland, acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 4 along with a 2026 second-round pick in exchange for James Harden, has only participated in practice on a limited basis.
He will miss this week’s back-to-back games against the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers and is expected to remain sidelined for several more weeks.
The 26-year-old has faced a challenging stretch of injuries.
After playing a career-high 75 games and earning his second All-Star selection in 2024-25, Garland sprained his left great toe during the playoffs, missing four games before returning for the final three contests of Cleveland’s Eastern Conference semifinal loss to Indiana.
He underwent surgery in June with a projected four-to-five-month recovery timeline.
Garland missed the first seven games of this season before debuting November 5 against Philadelphia, then aggravated the same toe days later in Miami, forcing another absence.
After playing 18 straight games, he suffered a Grade 1 sprain of his right toe on January 14 in Philadelphia and has not played since.
“Recovery is going good,” Garland said February 4. “I’m back on the court, working out, doing all the things I love to do. Just waiting on the green light.”
Clippers president Lawrence Frank emphasized patience in Garland’s recovery.
“We are not gonna skip any steps,” Frank said. “We think the short-term investment will lead to long-term rewards.”
Los Angeles sits 26-28 and 10th in the Western Conference with 28 games remaining, going 20-7 since December 20 behind Kawhi Leonard’s 30-point scoring average during that span.
Kris Dunn is expected to continue starting at point guard while Garland remains out.
Clippers Delay Darius Garland Debut Until March As Toe Issues Persist https://t.co/3bSMO2t3B9
— RealGM (@RealGM) February 18, 2026
