On ‘The Hoop Collective,’ Tim Bontemps of ESPN brought up the debate on whether Darius Garland’s contract is ‘toxic. Bontemps makes it clear that it is not Garland’s talent, as he is a two-time all-star, but more so related to his injury history, in which trading James Harden for him would have been a mistake that fans will not want to see play out.
It is unclear right now, given that Garland is 26 and has shown extreme promise in his career. Yet, he has had lingering concerns with his toe, the same designation that currently has him out, and if these continue or others unfortunately arise, there will be no choice but to label the money he is making as a burden on the LA Clippers’ payroll.
The Clippers lost the James Harden trade if Darius Garland does not play enough
The ten-year age gap is irrelevant to the outcome if the Cleveland Cavaliers were able to swap out Darius Garland, a player with notable health concerns, for James Harden, someone known for suiting up regardless of how he feels; it would be an automatic loss for the LA Clippers.
This explains why Cleveland gave up Garland and a second-round pick in the trade. Their fear might have been that the health of his toes would worsen, leading to a permanent value drop.
The Clippers would hate to be in a position where they are paying the former lottery pick over $40 million over the last two seasons of his contract. The key detail is that this money is fully guaranteed, which would be a nightmare for the front office if he is not on the floor.
However, spending on Garland just to be in street clothes is taking place at the moment. Joey Linn of Sports Illustrated reported on X (formerly Twitter) that his right toe is better, but his left is still on its way back to 100%.
Lawrence Frank said the Clippers are not going to skip any steps in Darius Garland’s injury recovery.
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) February 9, 2026
He said his right toe is better, but he’s also still recovering from left toe surgery that the team is going to give him plenty of time to fully recover from.
Sounds like a…
Fans assumed he would make his debut before, or soon after, the All-Star break. Yet, that may not be the case with the amount of progress that needs to be made to receive clearance from the training staff.
That said, though it is far too early to tell what Garland’s salary will be perceived as in the future, Tim Bontemps is right to wonder about the possibilities. Injuries are unpredictable, and if the trend continues, Clippers fans will face the pain of watching an all-star make a prominent living on the sidelines.