Darius Garland revealed to Marc J. Spears of Andscape that he had long anticipated being traded out of Cleveland, pointing to a lingering toe injury that limited him to just 26 games this season as a major factor in the situation.
Los Angeles Clippers point guard explained that discussions about a potential move had already taken place well before the trade ultimately happened.
“It was going to happen regardless, either at the (trade) deadline or this summer. (My agent) Rich (Paul) had that conversation with me last summer,” Garland said.
“But yeah, the toe definitely had a factor in it. They didn’t know if I was going to be healthy for this season, which I will be.”
Garland added that Cleveland’s decision appeared tied to the team’s desire to prioritize immediate contention, believing the organization valued the experience and playoff résumé of James Harden as a better fit for its current goals.
“But they thought that James (Harden) had something that I didn’t, I believe. He has experience in playoffs and All-Star numbers still to this day, even though he wasn’t an All-Star this year.
“But yeah, they want to win right now. They have a group, too. And I guess I really wasn’t part of the plan.”
Garland has played 7 seasons for the Cavaliers. He has averaged 18.8 points, 6.7 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 408 regular-season games. He was selected to play in 2 All-Star games.
Clippers Notes: Lopez, Leonard, Collins, Garland https://t.co/FNjvffaWu5
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) February 22, 2026
