2-for-1 Trade! Debut Imminent! Leonard Welcomes All-Star Guard

It's happening, it's here.

The Clippers officially announced:Newly acquired Garland will make his debut on the 3rd of this month in the away game against the Warriors.

Before this season's trade deadline, the Clippers sent out Harden to acquire Garland and a second-round pick from the Cavaliers.

Veteran leader Leonard spoke about Garland, expressing the team's excitement for what he can bring upon his return and sharing his own enthusiasm about it. Back in February, when discussing the potential partnership with Leonard, Garland stated that the chance to play alongside this future Hall of Famer and have control of the ball nearly 99% of the time was an offer he couldn't refuse.

Garland was born on January 26, 2000. He was the 5th overall pick in the 2019 draft, a 6'1" guard. Over his seven and a half seasons with the Cavaliers, he averaged 18.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game in the regular season, with shooting splits of 45.3% FG, 38.6% 3PT, and 86.7% FT. In the playoffs, he averaged 17.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.0 steal per game, with splits of 42.8% FG, 34.3% 3PT, and 85.7% FT.

Garland earned All-Star selections in the 2021-22 season (averaging 21.7 pts, 3.3 reb, 8.6 ast, 1.3 stl) and the 2024-25 season (averaging 20.6 pts, 2.9 reb, 6.7 ast, 1.2 stl). However, aside from being a decade younger, he likely cannot fully replace Harden's role for the Clippers, especially in terms of playmaking and controlling the game.

This move gives the Clippers three primary scorers: Leonard, Mathurin, and Garland. There's no need to worry about shot distribution among them, as Mathurin primarily serves as the super sixth man for the Clippers. So far with his new team, he has played 7 games with 1 start, averaging 30.1 minutes, 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, with shooting splits of 39.4% FG, 18.5% 3PT, and 83.6% FT.

So far this season, the Clippers hold a 28-31 record, placing them 9th in the Western Conference. They trail the 6th-place Lakers by 7.5 games and lead the 11th-place Grizzlies by 5.0 games. It's time to prepare for the Play-In Tournament.