Darius Garland began a new chapter in his career this Wednesday as he was traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for James Harden. The two-time All-Star point guard spoke during the halftime of the game between both teams about his trade, affirming that it wasn't a surprise and expressing respect for his former team. "Cleveland was amazing to me and my family. Seven years is a long time, but now I'm happy to be here. It's the next chapter in my story," Garland stated.
The player has not played since January 16 due to a sprained toe on his right foot and still does not have a debut date with the Clippers. Nevertheless, he expressed readiness to play once given the green light. Coach Tyronn Lue looks forward to adjusting the team's playing style with Garland, highlighting his ability to play faster and off the ball, comparing him to his experience with Kyrie Irving.
Throughout his seven seasons, Garland has only exceeded 70 games in a season once due to physical issues, and this season he might play around 42 games. Cleveland's decision to trade him was in response to the need to support Donovan Mitchell with a scorer like Harden, while the Clippers managed to rejuvenate their roster.
Garland's Time with the Cavs
Cleveland's coach, Kenny Atkinson, labeled Garland as one of his favorite players and is confident that he will thrive under Lue's guidance. On the other hand, Garland expressed excitement about the chances of playing alongside Kawhi Leonard and showed willingness to take on any role instructed by the coach. "I'm here to win games," he concluded.
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