Garland will serve as the featured participant for the Clippers this season after the departure of Kawhi Leonard.
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Leonard was traded during the offseason to the Toronto Raptors for a bundle that included ahead Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey Dick and varied draft picks.
Ingram would’ve performed a large function for the Clippers to begin the season but is expected to miss time as he recovers from proper heel surgical procedure. He also has a partially torn proper Achilles tendon.
Garland will be in the beginning lineup alongside Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., Rui Hachimura and Isaiah Jackson.
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NBA’s younger stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 gamers under 25
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Jalen Green #4 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the first half in Game Four of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 27, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona.
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NBA’s younger stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 gamers under 25
Amen Thompson #10 of Houston Rockets drives the ball during NBA China Games 2026 between Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets at The Venetian Arena on the Cotai Strip on October 11, 2026 in Macau, China.
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Paolo Banchero #5 of the Orlando Magic brings the ball up court during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on October 07, 2026 in Memphis, Tennessee.
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Dyson Daniels #5 of the Atlanta Hawks dunks against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of a preseason sport at American Airlines Center on October 16, 2026 in Dallas, Texas.
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Shaedon Sharpe #17 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts during the sport against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 30, 2026 in New York City.
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Keyonte George #3 of the Utah Jazz waits for a free throw during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on January 17, 2026 in Dallas, Texas.
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NBA’s younger stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 gamers under 25
Cason Wallace #22 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball during Game Five of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 26, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Thunder defeated the Spurs 127-114.
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NBA’s younger stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 gamers under 25
Donovan Clingan #23 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts during the second half of an NBA play-in event sport at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 14, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Suns 114-110.
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NBA’s younger stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 gamers under 25
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NBA’s younger stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 gamers under 25
Vj Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball during Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Xfinity Mobile Arena on May 08, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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NBA’s younger stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 gamers under 25
Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs goes through drills before their preseason sport against the Atlantic Hawks at Frost Bank Center on October 8, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.
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NBA’s younger stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 gamers under 25
AJ Dybantsa #4 of the Washington Wizards in motion against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 08, 2026 in New York City.
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NBA’s younger stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 gamers under 25
Darryn Peterson #22 of the Utah Jazz rushes the ball up the court against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of their preseason sport at the Delta Center on October 12, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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NBA’s younger stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 gamers under 25
Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks runs back court against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half of a preseason sport at American Airlines Center on October 16, 2026 in Dallas, Texas.
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Coach Tyronn Lue acknowledged that having this lineup permits for an additional ball handler to be on the court and creates more alternatives for Garland.
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“Just being able to move Darius off the ball, running around a little bit so teams can’t just lock into him when he’s running pick and roll,” Lue defined. “If’we had to come off, catch and shoot, if it’s not there, they’re running pick and roll to try to move them around more because of his speed and his ability to shoot the basketball.”
Dunn and Jones are acquainted faces for the Clippers, having been with the workforce since the 2024-25 season.
Hachimura has spent the last few seasons in Los Angeles as a member of the Lakers but joined the rival Clippers as a free agent during the offseason.
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Jackson was traded by the Indiana Pacers to Los Angeles in February as half of a bundle deal.
Rookie Keaton Wagler will make his regular-season debut coming off the bench for Los Angeles.
Wagler was the fifth general choose in the 2026 NBA Draft out of Illinois.
Darius Garland of the Los Angeles Clippers dribbles the ball up the court during the first quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on April 5, 2026, in Sacramento, California.
