Darius Garland says goodbye to Cleveland after the Clippers trade

Just a few hours before Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers report to the Intuit Dome, Darius Garland wrote a heartfelt farewell letter to the organization that took a chance on him and the city that adopted him for seven years. In a shocking move, c The Cavs traded Garland for James Harden on Monday. It was made official on Wednesday evening.

“Dear Cleveland, I will never forget the night I was drafted by Cleveland in 2019 and everything I have gained since then,” Garland wrote. “This city has taught me more than I could have imagined. To the coaches, staff, front office, the Gilbert family, my teammates and fans — thank you for your love and support. Cleveland will always be a second home, and I will carry these memories with me forever. – Always love, 10.”

CLEVELAND, Thank you! 🫶🏾 pic.twitter.com/gvstuNK3pv

— Darius Garland (@dariusgarland22) February 4, 2026

Cavs President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman issued a statement shortly after Garland’s.

“We deeply appreciate what Darius Garland has meant to this franchise and the city of Cleveland,” Altman said. “Over the past seven seasons, Darius has grown into an All-Star, the leader and the heart of our team. This decision was not made lightly, as Darius has consistently represented the Cavaliers and our community with a grace and joy that resonated with his teammates and our fans, both inside Rockets Arena and throughout the NBA.”

“We are incredibly grateful for all he has given to this organization. The difficulty of this trade reflects the utmost respect we have for him, and we wish him nothing but success as he begins the next chapter of his career with the Los Angeles Clippers.”

Garland is now set to join the Clippers team for which his father Winston played in 1990-91. He is reportedly expected to return to the floor after the NBA All-Star break as he continues to recover from a major sprain in his right toe. Before that injury, Garland was getting in shape, getting his feet wet and feeling healthier from the same left toe setback that he had surgery on and has re-aggravated at various points this season.

Meanwhile, the Cavs have moved on from Garland and the Core Four era, which peaked last season at 64-18 as the top seed in the league. Cleveland went to the playoffs the last three years and made the play-in tournament the season before that.

In seven and a half seasons with Cleveland, Garland averaged 18.8 points, 6.7 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 33.1 minutes per game in 408 total appearances. He shot 45.3% from the field, including 38.6% from distance and 86.7% at the free throw line.

Garland, who was Knight with the longest tenureleaves as the third-highest three-point shooter in franchise history (956 times), behind LeBron James and Kevin Love. He is third in assists (2,738) behind LeBron and Mark Price, and is in the top 10 in scoring (2,805) and points (7,671).