About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Point guard Darius Garland and the Los Angeles Clippers will begin the 2026-27 season against the Sacramento Kings at the Intuit Dome on Wednesday, Oct. 21 .
Garland will serve as the featured player for the Clippers this season after the departure of Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard was traded during the offseason to the Toronto Raptors for a package that included forward Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey Dick and various draft picks.
Ingram would've played a big role for the Clippers to start the season but is expected to miss time as he recovers from right heel surgery. He also has a partially torn right Achilles tendon.
Garland will be in the starting lineup alongside Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., Rui Hachimura and Isaiah Jackson.
Exactly 25 players under 25-years-old made our rankings of the top 100 NBA players this season . See the 25 young stars who are making their mark on the court. Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up before Game Six of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center on May 28, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) Jalen Johnson #1 of the Atlanta Hawks in action during Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 28, 2026 in New York City. The Knicks won 126-97. (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) Alperen Sengun #28 of Houston Rockets drives the ball during NBA China Games 2026 between Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks at The Venetian Arena on the Cotai Strip on October 09, 2026 in Macau, China. (Zhizhao Wu, Getty Images) Josh Giddey #3 of the Chicago Bulls gestures during the third quarter in a preseason game against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on October 11, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Tyler McFarland, Getty Images) Ajay Mitchell #25 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up prior to the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on October 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images) Peyton Watson #8 of the Denver Nuggets grabs a rebound against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena on January 22, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Scott Taetsch, Getty Images) 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. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 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. (Zhizhao Wu, Getty Images) 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. (Justin Ford, Getty Images) Brandon Miller #24 poses for a photo opportunity during the Charlotte Hornets Media Day at Novant Health Performance Center on September 28, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images) Ausar Thompson #9 of the Detroit Pistons looks on against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter in Game Five of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 13, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Gregory Shamus, Getty Images) Dyson Daniels #5 of the Atlanta Hawks dunks against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of a preseason game at American Airlines Center on October 16, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Stacy Revere, Getty Images) Shaedon Sharpe #17 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts during the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 30, 2026 in New York City. (Ishika Samant, Getty Images) Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs looks to rebound against the Phoenix Suns in the second half of a preseason game at Frost Bank Center on October 14, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Ronald Cortes, Getty Images) Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons waits during the fourth quarter of Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena on May 09, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Pistons 116-109. (Jason Miller, Getty Images) 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. (Stacy Revere, Getty Images) 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. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) Donovan Clingan #23 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts during the second half of an NBA play-in tournament game at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 14, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Suns 114-110. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs handles the ball during Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 30, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) Kon Knueppel #7 of the Charlotte Hornets gestures after a play during the first half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 12, 2026 in New York City. (Jordan Bank, Getty Images) 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. (Emilee Chinn, Getty Images) Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs goes through drills before their preseason game against the Atlantic Hawks at Frost Bank Center on October 8, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Ronald Cortes, Getty Images) AJ Dybantsa #4 of the Washington Wizards in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 08, 2026 in New York City. (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) 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 game at the Delta Center on October 12, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Chris Gardner, Getty Images) Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks runs back court against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half of a preseason game at American Airlines Center on October 16, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Stacy Revere, Getty Images) 1 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Exactly 25 players under 25-years-old made our rankings of the top 100 NBA players this season . See the 25 young stars who are making their mark on the court. Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up before Game Six of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center on May 28, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 1 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Exactly 25 players under 25-years-old made our rankings of the top 100 NBA players this season . See the 25 young stars who are making their mark on the court. Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up before Game Six of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center on May 28, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 2 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Jalen Johnson #1 of the Atlanta Hawks in action during Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 28, 2026 in New York City. The Knicks won 126-97. (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) 3 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Alperen Sengun #28 of Houston Rockets drives the ball during NBA China Games 2026 between Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks at The Venetian Arena on the Cotai Strip on October 09, 2026 in Macau, China. (Zhizhao Wu, Getty Images) 4 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Josh Giddey #3 of the Chicago Bulls gestures during the third quarter in a preseason game against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on October 11, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Tyler McFarland, Getty Images) 5 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Ajay Mitchell #25 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up prior to the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on October 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images) 6 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Peyton Watson #8 of the Denver Nuggets grabs a rebound against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena on January 22, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Scott Taetsch, Getty Images) 7 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 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. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 8 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players 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. (Zhizhao Wu, Getty Images) 9 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 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. (Justin Ford, Getty Images) 10 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Brandon Miller #24 poses for a photo opportunity during the Charlotte Hornets Media Day at Novant Health Performance Center on September 28, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images) 11 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Ausar Thompson #9 of the Detroit Pistons looks on against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter in Game Five of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 13, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Gregory Shamus, Getty Images) 12 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Dyson Daniels #5 of the Atlanta Hawks dunks against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of a preseason game at American Airlines Center on October 16, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Stacy Revere, Getty Images) 13 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Shaedon Sharpe #17 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts during the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 30, 2026 in New York City. (Ishika Samant, Getty Images) 14 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs looks to rebound against the Phoenix Suns in the second half of a preseason game at Frost Bank Center on October 14, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Ronald Cortes, Getty Images) 15 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons waits during the fourth quarter of Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena on May 09, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Pistons 116-109. (Jason Miller, Getty Images) 16 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 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. (Stacy Revere, Getty Images) 17 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players 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. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 18 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Donovan Clingan #23 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts during the second half of an NBA play-in tournament game at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 14, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Suns 114-110. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 19 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs handles the ball during Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 30, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Christian Petersen, Getty Images) 20 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Kon Knueppel #7 of the Charlotte Hornets gestures after a play during the first half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 12, 2026 in New York City. (Jordan Bank, Getty Images) 21 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players 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. (Emilee Chinn, Getty Images) 22 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs goes through drills before their preseason game against the Atlantic Hawks at Frost Bank Center on October 8, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Ronald Cortes, Getty Images) 23 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 AJ Dybantsa #4 of the Washington Wizards in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 08, 2026 in New York City. (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) 24 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players 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 game at the Delta Center on October 12, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Chris Gardner, Getty Images) 25 / 25 NBA's young stars to watch in 2026-27 season: 25 players under 25 Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks runs back court against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half of a preseason game at American Airlines Center on October 16, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Stacy Revere, Getty Images) Coach Tyronn Lue stated that having this lineup allows for an extra ball handler to be on the court and creates more opportunities for Garland.
"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 explained. "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 familiar faces for the Clippers, having been with the team since the 2024-25 season.
MORE: Can Los Angeles Clippers salvage what is expected to be a nightmare 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.
Jackson was traded by the Indiana Pacers to Los Angeles in February as part of a package deal.
Rookie Keaton Wagler will make his regular-season debut coming off the bench for Los Angeles.
Wagler was the fifth overall pick 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. Clippers' starting lineup Guard Darius Garland
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Clippers announce starting lineup vs. Kings in season opener
Source: Sports
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