Garland has settled into Los Angeles since February's trade, and now the Clippers have to decide whether locking him up long term is worth the money.
Darius Garland became extension eligible this summer, and the number attached to it is real money.
He can sign a three-year deal worth up to 178 million dollars.
Garland landed in Los Angeles at the trade deadline in a deal that sent James Harden to Cleveland, and since then he has looked like a player worth paying rather than watching from a distance.
He still has two years and roughly 87 million dollars left on his current contract, so there is no rush from a roster standpoint.
But extensions are about locking in value before it gets more expensive, not necessarily about need nowadays.
How Garland Has Fit in Los Angeles
Garland's numbers only went up once he got out of Cleveland.
He averaged 19.9 points and 6.4 assists a game across 19 games with the Clippers, shooting a career-best clip from three-point range in that stretch.
He talked about the shift himself, telling Clippers reporters, "Let Kawhi go be Kawhi, bro. Try to get him some open shots in transition."
That sounds more like a player who found a role that fits, and the results back him up.
Garland and Leonard played well together on the floor during their short tenure, and Garland has said the fresh start got his joy back after feeling boxed in during his final years with the Cavaliers.
The Money
This is where it gets complicated.
Any extension for Garland would be paid for with Bird rights, not open cap room, and it would lock the Clippers into a backcourt built around him for years.
Behind him, the depth chart leans on Kris Dunn as a steady backup, Jordan Miller, Kobe Sanders and Keaton Wagler, the fifth pick in this year's draft, who Garland himself told to just enjoy the process during his pre-draft advice.
Neither of them is a starting caliber point guard yet, which is exactly why Garland matters so much to this roster.
Why the Extension Makes Sense
I think the Clippers should get this done.
Garland is 26, he just posted his best shooting stretch as a pro, and he has already shown he can share the ball with Leonard instead of competing with him.
Waiting a year risks the price only going up if he stays healthy, and his fit already looks better than it did in Cleveland, where a crowded backcourt limited him.
Leonard praised Garland's personality and the way he blends into the locker room on a team still finding its identity.
Garland's injury history, including a toe surgery that cost him time last year, is worth watching.
But the version of him that showed up in Los Angeles looked healthy and confident.
Paying him now, before a full healthy season drives the price higher, looks like the smarter bet for a front office that gave up a player like Harden to get him.
