Having a 26-year-old two-time All-Star on the LA Clippers is extremely helpful for the organization. Garland is a one-of-a-kind talent on the court, with flashy scoring and playmaking, and off the court, he has an excellent approach to the game and is a great teammate. It’s safe to say the Clippers are reaping the benefits of their 2026 deadline trade that brought him to LA.
More specifically, though, Garland opened up about the Clippers’ young core, particularly Keaton Wagler and Yanic Konan Niederhauser. He mentioned that with some of the stuff he’s learned over the years, he can “really just implement that” into Wagler and Niederhauser, which is exactly how he can help the team’s future, as his knowledge could go a very long way for two of LA’s more recently drafted first-round picks.
Darius Garland on becoming a mentor for Yanic Konan Niederhäuser and Keaton Wagler:
— Kalshi Hoops (@KalshiHoops) September 1, 2026
"It's super cool just to have some young bucks around me, just to try to teach them as much as I can. And with some of the stuff that I learned, I can really just implement that into Keaton and… pic.twitter.com/uYS4Aj767c
Darius Garland is the perfect guy for Wagler and Niederhauser to learn from
For Keaton Wagler, Darius Garland is a great person to learn from. Both players share a similar story in the league. Garland spent one season with the Vanderbilt Commodores and was drafted fifth overall. Wagler, as we know, was with the Illinois Fighting Illini before being selected by the LA Clippers with the fifth pick this past June.
In addition, Garland has been in the league for seven seasons and has been on a championship-contending team with the Cleveland Cavaliers, learning directly from superstars like Donovan Mitchell and how to overcome adversity, which will tremendously help Wagler through his rookie season, which will be full of obstacles.
Garland and Wagler are also not terribly far apart in age. This certainly has its advantages.
On the other hand, for Yanic Konan Niederhauser, some of the same stuff applies.
Garland can show the youngster what he’s gained from his journey thus far in the NBA, what it really takes to become a star at the highest level, and how to bounce back from a major setback.
Above everything are the takeaways he has from being teammates with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. These are two of some of the best big men in the league, whom Garland helped achieve their first All-Star appearances, and those couple of years' worth of knowledge could have the utmost impact on Niederhauser.
That said, Garland is exactly right about how he can be of value to Wagler and Niederhauser. The Clippers’ front office made heavy investments in both, and the seasoned point guard can help them pay dividends.
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