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Darius Garland 'excited' to be with Clippers
Darius Garland said he's looking forward to his chapter with the LA Clippers.
LOS ANGELES - Thursday marked the NBA trade deadline ahead of All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles.
What we know:
With All-Star Weekend approaching, both the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers are positioning themselves for a postseason push this spring.
As of Thursday, the Lakers sat sixth in the Western Conference, placing them on track for a playoff spot. The Clippers, after a slower start to the season, had begun to turn things around and were ninth in the standings, which puts them in the play-in tournament picture.
Here’s a look at the moves each team made ahead of the deadline.
Clippers make two major trades
The Clippers made two significant moves that will impact both the remainder of the season and the franchise’s future.
First, the team traded James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Darius Garland. The two guards are nearly a decade apart in age, and coach Tyronn Lue said Garland’s addition should allow the Clippers to play at a faster pace.
Less than an hour before the deadline, the Clippers completed another deal, sending center Ivica Zubac — the longest-tenured player on the roster — to the Indiana Pacers.
Zubac and Kobe Brown were traded to Indiana in exchange for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two 2026 first-round picks and a 2029 second-round pick.
The move adds much-needed draft capital for the Clippers, who previously sent five first-round picks and two pick swaps to Oklahoma City in the 2019 Paul George trade.
Quick recap of Clippers' trades
Clippers get:
- Darius Garland
- Bennedict Mathurin
- Isaiah Jackson
- Two first-round picks
- One second-round pick
Clippers part ways with:
- James Harden
- Ivica Zubac
- Kobe Brown
RELATED:
- Darius Garland eager to get started with Clippers after James Harden trade
- James Harden traded to Cleveland Cavaliers in blockbuster deal
- Clippers big man Ivica Zubac traded to Indiana Pacers: report
Lakers part ways with Gabe Vincent
The Lakers are focused on maximizing the pairing of LeBron James and Luka Dončić, which includes strengthening their supporting cast.
On Thursday, the Lakers traded guard Gabe Vincent and a second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for sharpshooter Luke Kennard, according to a report.
Quick recap of Lakers' trades
Lakers get:
- Luke Kennard
Lakers part ways with:
- Gabe Vincent
- Second-round pick
RELATED: Lakers trade Gabe Vincent, second-round pick to Atlanta for Luke Kennard: report
Across the league: Morant, Antetokounmpo stay put
While the league monitored the availability of All-Stars Ja Morant and Giannis Antetokounmpo, neither player was traded before the deadline.
The Source: Details in this roundup are based on confirmed NBA transactions and reporting from league and national media sources as teams finalized deals before the trade deadline.