A report says that they are.
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Howard Beck is an extremely reputable source, that said this about Russell Westbrook and the Celtics:”What I’m hearing in Las Vegas from some GMs, not only are they hearing that Westbrook will get traded, it’s that it will be sooner rather than later – before the season starts – and the most likely destination is the Boston Celtics”. With the talent and depth the Celtics already have, if Danny Ainge somehow pulls off the two deals I discussed, the Celtics are, in my opinion, easily favored over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference.
The Boston Celtics are looking for a superstar as preparation not only for the next season but as part of a long-term plan. Love is also a better fit than Griffin because his outside shooting can space the floor better.
Now Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown is loaded with potential, and would be a great player to receive if the Clippers ship Griffin to Boston. This injury held Griffin out for several months and limited him significantly in the postseason. He can attract doubles in the post, find cutters, wreak havoc in the pick-and-roll and knock down open mid-range jumpers consistently.
It would probably take more than Mirotic and Gibson for the Bulls to pry away Griffin from the Clippers. Here are the latest National Basketball Association rumors and news from you need to know. Perhaps it is also the ultimate fulfillment of this Celtics’ era, which has felt like a used auto lot, to roll with a gloriously bright red Ferrari surrounded by four utility pickups. On offense, since DeAndre Jordan’s best facet is being used as a pick and roll man and he can’t do much else, Griffin has had to alter his game to better suit that. Horford’s remaining prime years are limited, and Boston is best served to maximize his production while he’s still at his peak.
Over the past three seasons, Ainge has built an arsenal of team-friendly contracts and valuable draft picks to to make major upgrades exactly like this. A 27-year-old Griffin aligns perfectly with both Horford and Thomas’ career trajectories. If Boston has the assets, why should they waste it now?
For a team to make a star player available, it has to seek a large package in return. Keep the draft picks and use free agency to get the players they are looking for. The only player to be mentioned to be traded is Blake Griffin. No player on the Celtics right now outside of Horford will earn more than $12 million for the 2016-17 season. This trade worked out beautifully for Boston since Brooklyn is absolutely tanking and now the Celtics have their first round picks for the next few years.
A Chance to Buy Low?
With this being said, I would take Griffin over not getting a deal for any all-star caliber player this season at all. Griffin, on the other hand, may also be traded to Celtics in a three-way deal with Rudy Gay in Los Angeles Lakers. The Clippers suspended the veteran four games for the incident.
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As for Griffin, the Los Angeles Clippers have been on the brink of being championship contenders for about four years now, but have never been able to make that jump to the level of the Thunder, Spurs and Warriors. He was forced to sit out for the final two games of the series as the Clippers fell in six games. His name was reportedly brought up in talks last February at the trade deadline, according to multiple reports. Rivers told Zach Lowe of ESPN.com that he would consider breaking up his Big Three if the Clippers had another disappointing postseason exit.
