Clippers’ Darius Garland on trade from Cavs: ‘Guess I really wasn’t part of the plan’

The Cavaliers didn’t tiptoe toward the trade deadline. They kicked the door in.

When Cleveland sent Darius Garland to the Clippers for James Harden, the message was loud and clear: this is about right now. This is about the playoffs. This is about a championship window that’s open and doesn’t wait.

For Garland, the move didn’t come out of nowhere.

“It was going to happen regardless, either at the deadline or this summer,” Garland said, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “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. They thought that James had something that I didn’t, I believe.

“They want to win right now. They have a group, too. I guess I really wasn’t a part of the plan.”

That’s a heavy sentence. And an honest one.

Garland’s toe injury lingered. The timeline stayed cloudy. And the Cavs, after falling short in the postseason two straight years, decided it couldn’t afford uncertainty. Harden brings playoff miles, All-Star scars, and a reputation for carrying offenses when things tighten up.

Early returns? Encouraging.

The Cavs haven’t lost since Harden arrived (entering Friday at Charlotte). His playmaking has unlocked space for Donovan Mitchell, created easy buckets for Jarrett Allen, and stabilized lineups that used to wobble when possessions mattered. Harden’s numbers look familiar. The ripple effects matter more.

Anyway, Garland said he has no “hard feelings” toward Cleveland.

“I tip my hat off to the whole Cleveland organization,” he said. “They did put a lot in me, invested a lot in me and took a lot of risk. 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.”

This wasn’t about Garland failing. It was about the Cavs choosing urgency.

They take that urgency on the road next, with the stop in Charlotte before a Sunday test against the Thunder. The stretch run is here. The Cavs has made their bet.

Now comes the part where you see if it pays off.