Doc Rivers said Monday that he would not break up the Los Angeles Clippers’ big three of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan during the offseason — regardless of any trade offers that may arise. “I like our core and I like our bench, which was really good this year,” Rivers said three days after the Clippers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Portland Trail Blazers in six games.
More on Blake Griffin Trade?
That’s not to say there was no interest expressed in Griffin at this year’s trade deadline, especially with Griffin having taken a PR hit by hurting his hand during a fight at dinner with a team employee. There was hope that Griffin could be had on the cheap, but multiple sources said that, while the Clippers considered offers, they were certainly not going to be lowballed for Griffin.
There was, though, what one source termed as, “groundwork,” for potential Griffin deals that could be revisited in the coming weeks, either at the draft or in the wake of free agency. The Nuggets were among the teams connected with Griffin, but the Clippers’ asking price and the Denver ballpark offer were not even close. The Celtics and Bulls were among other teams that inquired about Griffin, but never got traction.
Q: Were there a lot of inquiries from NBA teams about Griffin before the recent trade deadline? Rivers: “There was some, but not a lot because we shot them down so quickly. Reading about some of these crazy rumors in the paper was comical to us. … “You can take the call, but you don’t have to listen. We like our team. We’re in the job of trying to make our team better, but we like our team.”
Sirius XM NBA: "I definitely think there's a possibility Blake Griffin is traded this summer" @Brian Windhorst with @Frank Isola & @Mitch Lawrence
As the countdown to the trade deadline has dissolved from weeks and days to hours and minutes, the Celtics are still holding out hope that a star will fall from the NBA sky. While league sources indicated that, in the words of one, “nothing is really hot with Boston,” Danny Ainge and Co. are still said to be working to pry loose something major. In that vein, for example, Doc Rivers has said the Clippers aren’t trading Blake Griffin, but it’s a fair bet the Celtics will revisit the topic before the clock next strikes 3 p.m. EST Thursday.
It would take someone on Griffin’s level to get Ainge to part with the first-round pick from Brooklyn, but sources tell the Herald it would definitely be on the table in that case. That would not be so for some of the other very good, but not transcendent types that have also been discussed with the Celts.
David Baumann: *EXCLUSIVE* Source: Orlando Magic recently offered Vucevic & Aaron Gordon for Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Griffin (other assets involved). Offer denied.
But the Griffin noise is real. He's no longer untouchable. The Clips are listening, even right now, and they've rarely listened before. If they get wind over the next four days that they're out of the Durant sweepstakes, they could accelerate the Griffin trade timetable. It'd take a monster offer to pry him away before the draft, but the ground is trembling (As I've written before, Rivers needs to think very hard about whether trading Griffin is a good idea).
JJ Redick: "I don't expect us to make a trade that involves Blake [Griffin]. That's just not something that I expect to happen. That's not any inside information either, it's just my gut feeling."
A Western source confirmed the Celtics were one of a number of teams calling the Clippers to see if Blake Griffin is, indeed, on the menu. But the result of those inquiries has thus far been that, while the Clips are listening, they have no real intention of moving the star forward.
High-level members of the organization say they remain adamant about not dealing Griffin, the best young player the franchise has ever had, despite another round of rumors suggesting they called Denver about Kenneth Faried, Danillo Gallinari, Will Barton and Nikola Jokic. “One hundred percent not true,” according to one executive involved in any trade discussions. Clippers coach Doc Rivers has also been vocal, saying the team isn't trading Griffin.
Chris Broussard: "I've been told that the Clips actually called Denver and offered Blake Griffin and Lance Stephenson for Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried, Will Barton and Nikola Jokic. And Denver turned it down because Blake will be a free agent after next season and they felt like he may leave, plus they like some of those young kids, they love Jokic."
The Clippers are making Blake Griffin available even though the injured forward is recovering from a second surgical procedure to his right (punching) hand and may not play again this season, especially if he's traded to a team out of the playoff race.
A source with knowledge of the situation said that “just about every team in the league” has contacted the Clippers about Griffin, who drew the ire of the team and the league when he was involved in a public altercation with the team’s equipment manager at a Toronto restaurant last month.
The Magic were one of several teams to try and engage with the Los Angeles Clippers on a Blake Griffin deal. Sources close to the situation say the conversation didn’t get incredibly far, but there was a serious conversation believed to be centered around three Magic players heading to L.A. – with Tobias Harris being the big salary in the deal.
Clippers sources maintain that trading Griffin is not under serious consideration, although the Clippers are talking with teams about deals around the deadline and are continuing to field calls in an attempt to shore up the roster for what they believe is a serious run in the second half of the season.
The Los Angeles Clippers have informed teams they're not interested in trading Blake Griffin despite the superstar forward's fight with an equipment manager that has him out as long as two months, league sources told CBS Sports on Friday.
Yet despite the Clippers' steadfast support of Griffin in the aftermath of an embarrassing incident that could imperil their title chances, there's a growing feeling among rival executives that the team's posture could change dramatically if the Clippers endure another disappointing postseason outcome this spring. Since they paired Chris Paul with Griffin in 2011 and lured Doc Rivers from Boston in 2013, the Clippers have yet to advance past the second round of the playoffs. Owner Steve Ballmer has gone deep into the luxury tax again this season, and there's a belief among rival teams that falling short in the playoffs again could lead to a major roster shakeup this summer.
However, according to a person close to Griffin, there's no guarantee he'd embrace returning home to play. The possibility hasn't been discussed within Griffin's camp, but as one prominent player operative noted, “Some guys don't want to play at home. Too many distractions.”
The benefits of playing in a small market like Oklahoma City -- less glitz and glamour, fewer media responsibilities, an organization that has proved to be protective of its stars -- would be canceled out for Griffin. For him, Oklahoma City would be like New York on steroids. This factor must be considered, especially since Griffin has a player option for the 2017-18 season. “I've seen him there; it's like Michael Jackson walking around,” the person close to Griffin said.
Despite reports the Clippers are having trade discussions with Denver and Philadelphia about Blake Griffin, the Clippers power forward isn’t being shopped. Teams have inquired about Griffin’s availability, but the Clippers, who still believe they can win this season, aren’t interested in making a move.
But that probably won’t happen, especially with the Clippers still confident in their chances. The Clippers aren’t having serious discussions about trading Griffin, especially not with Denver or with Philadelphia.
There is a perception that Blake Griffin is available via trade, a perception, quite frankly, that’s incorrect. The Clippers don’t need to trade Griffin – even after he broke his hand punching assistant equipment manager Matias Testi. They don’t want to trade Griffin, at least not to the extent where they’re willing to take less than he’s worth. And in their minds, Griffin is worth a whole bunch. Despite what people outside the organization think, people on the inside believe that a healthy Clipper team can still contend for an NBA title this season.
Multiple teams have contacted the Clippers about acquiring Blake Griffin in the wake of his having punched a team assistant equipment manager, said a person close to the situation not authorized to discuss it publicly, but the team has no active interest in trading its five-time All-Star power forward. The Clippers have fielded calls involving various trade proposals but remain reluctant to part with a cornerstone of their franchise and a player who, at age 26, was having possibly his best season before he was sidelined by a quadriceps injury the day after Christmas and subsequently a broken hand sustained in a scuffle with assistant equipment manager Matias Testi.
Ben Bolch: Multiple teams have inquired with Clippers about Blake Griffin offering various packages but team has no active interest in deal, per source. Clippers remain reluctant to part with a cornerstone of franchise and a player who, at 26, was having possibly best season before injury.
Digital Poet: You think the Toronto Raptors could do a three way deal with Denver for Blake Griffin? Steve Kyler: Clippers not open to moving Griffin in an context at this point. Unless OKC parts with Durant, not gonna happen.
Mitch Lawrence: The Clippers have talked to the Nuggets about trading Blake Griffin to Denver, per NBA sources.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Even without Durant, this franchise will make hard decisions on his future if it doesn't make a deep playoff run this spring. League sources tell me that will start with looking hard on the market for deals involving Griffin.
Outside of those well-known suitors – Washington, Houston and Miami – there’s another California team determined to make a bid for Durant, league sources tell The Vertical: The Los Angeles Clippers. If the opportunity comes to move Blake Griffin and replace him with Durant, the Clippers won’t hesitate, sources said.
Of the Clippers' three foundational stars, Griffin would probably net the highest return in a trade. Several league sources insist that if Doc Rivers, the Clippers coach, general manager, head chef and lead custodian, were forced to pick one of the three to flip, it would likely be Griffin -- in part because he knows Griffin would bring back the most. (He'd prefer to flip none, obviously).
Maybe the Clips should think about shaking things up? Problem is, Doc Rivers came to Los Angeles precisely to avoid a rebuild, and all indications are, he still thinks these Clippers can win the title if healthy. He won't sign off on a deal that brings back a bunch of future first-round picks. He might be the only decision-maker in the league who cares less about future firsts than Pat Riley.
The Griffin fight saga has teams around the league imagining how they might construct their roster around Griffin, and they are coming away both confused and intrigued. He can clearly be the No. 1 option in a good NBA offense. He's a dunk machine if you clear the lane and unleash him in the pick-and-roll.
