The Los Angeles Clippers’ failure to advance past the second round of the playoffs has led to a great deal of speculation regarding the team’s future going forward. Will they continue to aim for a championship with their nucleus of Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, and an aging Chris Paul? Or will they blow it up by trading Griffin, and possibly Paul as well? Griffin is one of the NBA’s best talents, and the rationale behind trading him — aside from rebuilding — is that Griffin will have the option to opt out of his contract with the Clippers next season, and the team would rather acquire assets for him in a trade than lose him in free agency.
However, that may not be a concern for the Clippers, as Griffin is reportedly intent on staying in L.A., per Basketball Insiders’ Steve Kyler:
Sources close to Griffin have been adamant that he is planning to re-sign in L.A. and that he’s not open to going anywhere. Clippers president and head coach Doc Rivers has mirrored that, saying he believes Griffin retires as a Clipper.
…
Sources close to the situation say win or lose, Rivers is not open to trade talks on Griffin or Paul and that he’s not worried about either walking away in July.
If this is true, then that’s a good sign for the Clippers, if you believe that their core can contend for a championship. They obviously aren’t the best team in the NBA; the Warriors are. However, they’re a top-five team, and are probably a few injuries away from being true title contenders.
