Clippers Deal for Garland : Trade: He isn’t the big-name player L.A. wanted, but he cost only two No. 2 picks and could be a starter soon.

Danny Ainge stayed in Sacramento and Jeff Malone in Washington, capital players both, but the Clippers still got some much-needed help in a trade before the deadline passed at 6 p.m. PST Thursday.

He has playoff experience, can play both backcourt positions, and, best of all, came relatively cheap. It’s just that Winston Garland isn’t really a household name.

Admittedly not getting the high-impact player they wanted, the Clippers acquired Garland, a third-year guard, from the Golden State Warriors for second-round picks in 1990 and ‘92, a modest sum to pay for a potential starter.

The deal appears to be sound for the Clippers. For one thing, Garland is a guard who ran Golden State’s up-tempo offense last season to a surprising 43-39 record and a first-round playoff upset of the Utah Jazz. Secondly, the Clippers surrendered only two No. 2 draft choices in years they still have two No. 1s, thanks to the Ron Harper trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers in November.

It’s far more curious for the Warriors, who are left with one point guard, rookie Tim Hardaway. It was apparently the high regard Don Nelson, Golden State’s coach and general manager, had for Hardaway that made Garland expendable.

But with the Clippers--their starting backcourt of Gary Grant and Harper out for the season with injuries and key reserve Tom Garrick playing hurt--Garland figures to become an integral member, especially this season.

He is expected to make his first appearance Sunday against the San Antonio Spurs at the Sports Arena, will have a good chance to start soon, and is looked upon as a solid backup to Grant in the future.

“It would have been difficult for anybody in the second round to come here and make this team in the future,” Clipper General Manager Elgin Baylor said. “Also, he is a proven player. You’re not going to find a guard in the second round as good as Garland.”

A second-round pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1987, Garland fit perfectly into the role of the Warriors of 1988-89, largely a rag-tag group that became one of the NBA’s success stories. He was signed by Golden State in November of 1988 after being cut from the Bucks, only to be released the next month. A few days and a short Continental Basketball Assn. stint later, Nelson brought him back.

Last season, Garland started in all 79 of his appearances, averaging 6.4 assists and 2.2 steals, both team highs, and 14.5 points. In February of 1989, he was signed a four-year contract worth a reported $2 million.

He was averaging just 5.3 points, 3.1 assists and 17.5 minutes at the time of the trade.

“I think it’s a positive move for myself and the Clippers,” said Garland, from Southwest Missouri State. “It’s an opportunity to play a lot.”

The Clippers made no secret of their interest in Ainge and Malone, but felt that the asking prices were far too steep. Baylor made his final calls about 20 minutes before the deadline, but nothing had changed.

“It was a lot more frustrating than hectic,” Baylor said.