Darius Garland. Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

New Clippers guard Darius Garland already has connection with the franchise

By Yagya Bhargava | Last updated Feb 4, 2026 10:11 AM ET

The Cleveland Cavaliers were supposed to own the East this season. That hasn't happened, as the 30-21 Cavs currently sit fifth in the East.

Reports suggest Donovan Mitchell started applying pressure ahead of the trade deadline, wanting the front office to make moves with his extension situation hanging over the team.

The result was one of the biggest trades at the deadline. James Harden is going to Cleveland, and Darius Garland is headed to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Los Angeles is betting Garland can be a cornerstone piece going forward. He's dealt with injuries all season after having toe surgery last offseason, which limited him to just 26 games. Garland hasn't played since Jan. 14, but word is he's getting close to a return.

Once he does suit up for the Clippers, Garland won't be breaking new ground for his family. His father already wore the same uniform decades ago, per The Athletic's Law Murray.

Winston Garland played for the Clippers during the 1989-90 and 1990-91 seasons.

Darius Garland’s dad pic.twitter.com/e5OOzjwul7
— Law Murray ‍☠️ (@LawMurrayTheNU) February 4, 2026

The Clippers connection behind Darius Garland

The Milwaukee Bucks selected Winston in the second round of the 1987 draft out of Missouri State, but Milwaukee shipped him to Golden State before he ever played a game there. Winston spent three years with the Warriors before getting dealt to the Clippers halfway through the 1989-90 campaign.

He stayed in Los Angeles through the next season and averaged 8.9 points, 4.8 assists and 1.3 steals during that stretch.

Winston kept playing after leaving the Clippers, making stops with the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves. He appeared in 511 NBA games over his career and put up 9.4 points and 4.7 assists per game.

His best year came with Golden State in 1988-89 when he averaged 14.5 points across 79 games, along with 6.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals. Winston also became the first Warriors player in five years to post a triple-double that season.

Darius developed into a star at Vanderbilt and went fifth overall in the 2019 draft. Now he's joining the same franchise his father played for more than 30 years ago.

Yagya Bhargava

Yagya Bhargava began his professional journey as a chef, but his passion for sports eventually led him into sports journalism. He started writing in 2022 and has since published more than 5,000 articles covering the NFL and NBA. Along the way, he’s worked with outlets like The Cold Wire, Sportskeeda, The SportsRush, and The Big Lead

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