The Clippers made a major splash in sending Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons, and it could be only the starting move in what looks to be the making of a rebuild in Los Angeles.
LA traded Griffin, along with Brice Johnson and Willie Reed to the Detroit Pistons for Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic and a first and second-round pick.
Marc Stein of The New York Times reported that the Clippers are willing to make deals with DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams as well. The Clippers’ front office reportedly believe their team has a feasible shot at catching the MVP candidate’s attention this summer.
The Clippers clearly believe they can make it onto LeBron James' free-agent short list come July and, according to league sources, will indeed move DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams before the Feb. 8 trade deadline if they can find workable deals to help them in that quest
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 30, 2018
This past summer, Griffin signed a five-year $171 million contract extension, presumably making the former number one overall pick a “Clipper for life.”
The surprising move to trade the 28-year-old Griffin, and the possible trades involving Jordan and Williams, all come six months before LeBron James is on the free agent market. James playing out the final years of his prime in a Clipper uniform is less a than likely scenario, according to The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears.
Coach Doc Rivers, general manager Lawrence Frank and Hall of Fame executive Jerry West would have to make a water-to-wine sales pitch to James for the Clippers to even be in consideration. As of now, James is not expected to consider the Clippers as a free agent, a source close to him said. A source close to the Clippers said they also don’t expect James to consider them in free agency. But the Clippers have to make the call.
Despite the current roster shifting, LA is in position to make the postseason at 25-24 and sit a half-game out of the final and eighth playoff spot in the west.
Williams is having a career year under Rivers and will certainly garner interest from contending teams around the league. Jordan has been the center of endless trade speculation this season, and things look to be picking up steam.
