What is a Clipper? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Well, my unnautically aware friend, it’s a ship. More specifically, a 19th-century merchant ship. And seeing as the Los Angeles Clippers originated in San Diego after moving from Buffalo in 1978, it makes sense that a team in one of the greatest port cities on Earth would be named after one.
Following the circumvention death sentence the Clippers received as a result of the Kawhi Leonard acquisition in 2019, that ship is doing more than taking on water. It’s sinking. They lost five first-round draft picks in the process, and those penalties don’t even begin until 2029 because they didn’t own their 2027 or 2028 picks to begin with. Their ability to build through the draft or utilize those picks in trades is essentially null and void.
I know plenty of people are concerned that the Phoenix Suns don’t control their own first-round pick until 2032. That’s a long time away. But that isn’t the same as not having first-round picks. The Suns still have them; they’re simply heavily swapped and will likely find themselves outside of the lottery. For the Clippers, those assets no longer exist.
Imagine being a member of that team. Imagine waking up this morning and thinking about your future as a basketball player. If winning matters to you, that ship may have sailed. Pun intended.
So as the Clippers try to figure out how to move forward and salvage something from the wreckage, there could be an opportunity for the Phoenix Suns to make a run at an asset or two if they deem one worth pursuing. And one asset worth exploring, the subject of today’s thought exercise, is Darius Garland.
It’s perceived as the primary concern for the Suns as they prepare for the 2026–27 season: the lack of a traditional point guard. The plan appears to be a backcourt of Devin Booker and Jalen Green, which on the surface looks like a pair of duplicative players. They’re both shooting guards, although they operate in much different spaces. Booker is a midrange assassin, while Green uses his athleticism to get downhill and put pressure on the rim. Both are below-average three-point shooters, and from a distribution standpoint, neither possesses elite passing as a primary skill. Booker probably doesn’t get enough credit for his ability to make those around him better, while that is something Green has struggled to do consistently throughout his career.
Add to that the fact that this is a full evaluation year for Green. The Suns appear ready to hand him the keys to the facilitation role and see what he does with it. He’ll make $36.3 million this season and has a $36 million player option for next year. With extensions beginning to kick in elsewhere on the roster, his production needs to match the expectations attached to that contract.
So the question becomes, do the Suns bypass all of that uncertainty and make a run at Darius Garland from a decimated Clippers organization?
Garland, a 6’1” combo guard who is 26 years old, carries some similarities to what Jalen Green brings. He’s quick, can get to the rim, and finishes with creative shot-making. He’s a smaller guard than Green, but he also brings something Phoenix could use more of. Shooting. Garland is a career 38.9% three point shooter on 6.1 attempts per game, and he can facilitate as well, averaging 6.7 assists across his seven-year career. He’s tough, tenacious, and someone who could potentially blend into the identity and culture the Suns established last season. He is also a more polished and consistent NBA player, someone who could elevate the offense immediately.
Defensively, the size is a concern. At 6’1”, there are going to be matchups where he can be targeted. But given the Suns’ current construction, with Dillon Brooks available to handle point of attack responsibilities and Khaman Maluach potentially providing rim protection behind him, Garland is someone Phoenix could hide when needed. He graded out as a C- in Perimeter Isolation Defense last season, according to BBall Index, landing in the 43rd percentile. For context, Green graded as a B- and finished in the 60th percentile.
When you look at Garland’s contract, that’s where the crux of the conversation really exists. He’s owed $42.6 million this season and $44.9 million next year before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2028–29. So essentially, he’s on the same availability timeline as Jalen Green, only he costs roughly $6 million more per year. That means a straight-up swap for Green doesn’t work. Phoenix would have to add more salary, and with so many players re-signed this offseason, most of those contracts can’t be moved until January 15, 2027.
That doesn’t mean the idea isn’t worth exploring. So, like an admiral aboard a clipper, let’s explore it.
Any deal with Los Angeles would start with Jalen Green going out for Darius Garland, but Phoenix would still need to add roughly $6 million in salary to make the numbers work. The most logical piece is Luke Kennard. If the Suns sent Green, Kennard, and their 2027 first-round pick to the Clippers, that could get the framework moving. If Los Angeles wanted another first, Phoenix could also include its 2028 first-round pick. Both of those picks are heavily swapped.
Kennard is a newly signed free agent, so any possibility of pulling the trigger on a trade like this wouldn’t become plausible until at least December 15. That timeline could actually align with Phoenix’s plans. The Suns want to give Jalen Green some runway at the point guard position and see what he looks like in that role. If it works, great. If it doesn’t, a deal like this could become a potential out for the team.
One thing is clear. Any transaction involving the Clippers moving forward has to include draft assets. This is an organization that was stripped of half a decade of picks, so replenishing that draft cupboard is going to matter. In this scenario, the Clippers would get two players and at least one first-round pick, potentially two.
Adding Garland would also help define roles across the roster rather than asking Jalen Green to suddenly become a quality, consistent facilitator. It would give the Suns a player whose archetype better fits their needs and remove some of the uncertainty that comes with another year of Devin Booker’s prime.
Because one thing is certain. Booker’s prime has already been squandered to some degree by poor decisions and roster construction over the previous four years. Last season, the ship finally started moving in the right direction. If the Suns want to keep pushing that way, Booker should be allowed to play his natural position as a shooting guard rather than continually hoping that someone like Bradley Beal or Jalen Green can take over the facilitation role. Too often, that responsibility falls back on Booker as the season progresses, ultimately taking away from what makes him most effective.
In this hypothetical, I don’t know if the Clippers would bite. If they’re serious about moving Garland, there are probably teams that can offer more attractive draft assets. The Suns simply don’t have anything particularly sexy when compared to what other teams could put on the table. But given the situation the Clippers now find themselves in, it would still be worth picking up the phone and seeing whether there’s any interest.
The Clippers are sinking, and the Suns should be checking the water for anything valuable that floats their way. Garland would give Phoenix something it has been searching for since Chris Paul left: a legitimate point guard who can organize the offense while allowing Booker to be Booker. The price matters, especially with Phoenix’s limited assets, but the opportunity is worth exploring. If the Clippers are selling pieces to rebuild their ship, the Suns should at least see what it costs to bring Garland aboard.
