Darius Garland to make Clippers debut Monday at Warriors

The LA Clippers have officially set the debut date for point guard Darius Garland. The two-time All-Star will play in his first game with the Clippers Monday at Chase Center against the Golden State Warriors. It will be Garland’s first appearance since being traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers on Feb. 4 with a second-round pick in exchange for All-NBA point guard James Harden.

The Athletic reported that the Clippers were preparing for Garland to return as soon as Monday, following a period where the Clippers played only one game in six days. Garland was held out Sunday with the Clippers hosting the New Orleans Pelicans, the first of an 18-game March schedule. Monday night’s game will be nationally-streamed on Peacock. With Garland subject to the Player Participation Policy as a recent All-Star selection, his debut fits the league’s preferences.

The 26-year-old will likely be on a minutes restriction indefinitely as he returns to competition. Garland underwent surgery on his left big toe in June and missed the first seven games of the season with Cleveland before debuting Nov. 5 against the Philadelphia 76ers. He reported soreness in the toe upon arriving to the Clippers, and the team decided to take as much time as needed to ensure Garland would be 100 percent upon debuting for his new team.

Garland hasn’t played in a game since Jan. 14, when he suffered a Grade 1 sprain of his right toe in Philadelphia. That was ultimately Garland’s last game with the Cavaliers, the team that drafted him fifth in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Vanderbilt.

Garland averaged 18.0 points, 6.9 assists, and 2.3 3s per game in 26 games this season with Cleveland. The Clippers have been using a starting lineup of Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., Kawhi Leonard, John Collins and Brook Lopez while awaiting Garland’s debut. Head coach Tyronn Lue also suggested that Garland could be a boost to reserves Bennedict Mathurin and Yanic Konan Niederhäuser in certain lineups as well.

“We haven’t had a chance to see it yet, but I do think having Yanic on the floor with Darius is a good combination,” Lue said prior to Sunday’s game against the Pelicans. “I think Benn, as well, is a great combination for him. So we’ve got to see once he gets back, once he’s healthy, he’s able to play the minutes we need him to play. And then we’ll be able to see those combinations.”