Blake Griffin has been one of the main subjects of trade speculation this season. Having injured his hand in an altercation and with his team showing no significant growth, there may be reason to trade the star power forward. Whether the Clippers actually feel the need to do so or not, the rumors have begun to swirl.
The latest rumors around Griffin have him linked to the Denver Nuggets. There was already talk about the Nuggets being interested in trading for Griffin but according to a report from ESPN’s Chris Broussard, those talks turned into a full discussion and offer:
I was told that the Clippers actually called Denver and offered Blake Griffin and Lance Stephenson for Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried, Nikola Jokic and Will Barton. And Denver turned it down.
Doc Rivers, I talked to him about that very deal. He said not true. There’s no way Blake’s getting traded.
(H/t to Pro Basketball Talk for the transcription of the SportsCenter segment)
That’s an interesting trade on both fronts. It may be one of the few scenarios in which the Clippers could get close to equal value for their star. In fact, that haul could allow them to get more depth, especially on the wing where they need it desperately, and stay competitive even if it involves losing a player of Griffin’s caliber.
Danilo Gallinari would be a huge improvement at the three spot. Will Barton, too, would be better than any non-JJ Redick wings the Clippers have right now. Kenneth Faried and Nikola Jokic, meanwhile, could combine to give the Clippers some of Griffin’s production.
The Nuggets, on the other hand, would be able to get a superstar to add to a young core, allowing them to speed up the pace to their rebuild. They would be giving a huge haul and losing much of their depth to get Griffin, but when a player of that caliber comes along, it may be worth it to pull the trigger.
In the end, however, I am skeptical of this deal ever happening and not just because Doc Rivers has publicly denied it. The Clippers will never get equal value for Blake and they would be foolish to trade their best player. If they do believe this core has reached its peak and will not win a title, they’d be wiser to attempt to trade Chris Paul or DeAndre Jordan and rebuild around Griffin.
For all his faults, Griffin is one of the best players in the league. Teams trading that level of a star rarely get back enough in return and with no real pressure to trade Griffin, it’s hard to see the Clippers attempt to do so.
