Darius Garland Faces Uncertain Clippers Future After Kawhi Leonard Drama

The LA Clippers are in deep water after losing their five future first-round draft picks between 2029 and 2033. This is due to Clippers owner Steve Ballmer circumventing the salary cap to pay Kawhi Leonard outside of the team's payroll. The NBA found the parties involved guilty, resulting in a hefty $30 million fine on top of the loss of five draft picks.

Now that the Clippers are out of resources to rebuild, it seems that the organization is desperate to get those picks back. However, the only way LA could successfully get back draft picks is by trading Darius Garland. Aside from Leonard, who is expected to be traded to the Toronto Raptors soon, Garland is the only other valuable asset they have to get picks from other teams.

"With the Los Angeles Clippers losing five 1st-round picks between 2029 & 2033 due to the Kawhi Leonard camp circumvention case, the team wants to try to recover as much NBA Draft capital as possible," as per Courtside Buzz on X. "To that end, they could put Darius Garland on the market, and it’s something expected at the moment."

As of this writing, the Clippers haven't officially put Garland up for grabs on the trade block. The reports of a potential trade involving him are merely a suggestion for the Clippers to get their trade picks back, if they want to.

NBA Veteran is Concerned About Darius Garland's Future With the Clippers

Now that the LA Clippers are in the hot seat and being labeled 'criminals' in the league, many are concerned about the franchise's future. The Clippers currently don't have an authority figure to run the team's operations. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has been banned for a year.

President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker has been suspended without pay for a year. Then there's President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank, who has also been suspended for a year without pay.

Given the circumstances, Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green voiced his concerns for the players who will remain with the Clippers heading into the 2026-27 season. He specifically mentioned Darius Garland and how his point of view could affect his performance this coming season.

"Here's where the NBA dropped the hammer: FIVE FIRST ROUND PICKS… It's crippling to a franchise… It may stick the Clippers in purgatory for a long time to come and it makes you think what certain players like Darius Garland, how are they gonna look at being in this place now? Ty Lue, how does he look at being in this place now?" Green said on his podcast.

Garland has yet to break his silence on what transpired earlier this September. So far, there are no reports of him asking for a trade, though we wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly wanted out of LA.