SB Nation - Blake Griffin

Orlando Magic trade rumor: Arron Afflalo deal could be "next" for Clippers after landing Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett, according to report

Evan Dunlap — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:59:33 -0000

The Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics remain engaged in trade talks which could result in Boston coach Doc Rivers and center Kevin Garnett moving to Hollywood, report Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports and Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. The two sides are reportedly hashing out details of a future Draft pick which L.A. would convey to Boston in exchange for the future Hall-of-Fame big man and the right to release Rivers from his contract with the Celtics.

Both reports indicate that Boston is no longer pushing for L.A. to include point guard Eric Bledsoe in the deal, which has ramifications for the Orlando Magic. As Chad Ford of ESPN noted Thursday, the Clippers and the Magic have "mutual interest" in swapping Bledsoe and veteran swingman Caron Butler for Arron Afflalo.

Trading Afflalo for Butler would be a downgrade in terms of talent [...] but it would enable the Magic to realize some salary-cap savings.

Ford tweeted on Tuesday that such a trade between Orlando and L.A. could be the "next shoe to drop" if the Clippers complete the rumored deal with Boston.

Afflalo, 27, was the most prominent player the Magic received in the four-team trade involving Dwight Howard in August. The former Denver Nugget averaged career-bests with per-game averages of 16.5 points, 3.7 boards, 3.2 assists, and 36 minutes for a Magic team which won a league-worst 20 games in 2012/13.

Trading Afflalo for Butler would be a downgrade in terms of talent, given that Butler averaged just 10.4 points per game on 42.4 percent shooting for L.A. despite playing a complementary role next to the likes of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, but it would enable the Magic to realize some salary-cap savings: Afflalo has another two seasons, worth $7.75 million apiece, remaining on his contract, with a third season worth $7.9 million at Afflalo's option, according to ShamSports. Butler's $8 million salary, in contrast, comes off the books at the end of the 2013/14 season.

Bledsoe would be the real prize in the deal. The speedy, athletic point guard is just 23 and has flourished behind Paul in Los Angeles.

Looking for Orlando Magic tickets? Orlando Pinstriped Post has you covered. We invite you to follow Orlando Pinstriped Post on Twitter and like Orlando Pinstriped Post on Facebook.

Celtics may be willing to accept two draft picks instead of cap savings

Jeff Clark — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:14:20 -0000

The latest update is that the Celtics are willing to cave on the demand to dump salary on the Clippers and will instead take a second future first round pick. Here's what Wojo says.

Sources: Kevin Garnett, Doc Rivers trade may come down to Clips surrendering 2 draft picks - Yahoo! Sports

After pushing for the Clippers to take back long-term contracts, the Celtics relented and have shown willingness to complete the deal for DeAndre Jordan and two first-round draft picks, sources said. The Clippers are willing to give the Celtics Jordan and one draft pick, but were resisting a second future pick, sources said. The two teams are planning to talk again on Tuesday morning, and the fragile negotiations could climax over the draft pick compensation, sources said.

ESPN has a somewhat different report.

Sources -- Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics continue talks but no deal yet - ESPN

ESPN.com reported earlier Monday that the Clippers' willingness instead to take on the contract of Celtics guard Courtney Lee or teammate Jason Terry -- instead of parting with Bledsoe -- would likely be enough to convince Boston to go ahead with the separate deals involving Rivers and Garnett. But sources said Monday night that one holdup is Boston's hope that the Clippers will actually take on the contracts of both players, something sources say L.A. is unwilling to do. The Clippers, according to sources, are prepared to trade Jordan and Caron Butler's $8 million expiring contract in exchange for Garnett and either Lee or Terry. Garnett would need to waive his no-trade clause to seal the deal. In a technically separate transaction, L.A. would also send at least one first-round draft pick to the Celtics to convince them to let Rivers out of the three years (and $21 million) left on his contract.

So as near as I can tell, the simplified negotiations have gone something like this.

Celtics: How about Doc Rivers, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce for Blake Griffin, Eric Bledsoe, DeAndre Jordan, and Caron Butler's expiring salary?

Clippers: Ha ha, umm, no.

Celtics: Ok, fine. How about just Doc and Garnett for Bledsoe, Jordan, and two first rounders?

Clippers: Nah, how about Doc and Garnett for just Jordan and one first rounder?

(staring)

Celtics: Will you take back Courtney Lee and Jason Terry?

Clippers: Nah.

(staring)

Celtics: Will you at least give us a second first rounder?

Clippers: We'll think about it.

Celtics: ...and either Lee or Terry?

(staring)

I think that's where we stand now (oversimplified for dramatic effect).

It is a little hard to reconcile the two reports between Wojo and ESPN. I really hope the deal isn't just Doc and KG for Jordan and a pick. I'd feel a tiny bit better if there were two picks. I'd feel a little better if it also included dumping Jason Terry.

I can't find it right now, but I swear I saw somewhere that the two picks would be 2014 and 2017. Next year's pick would be the back end of a good draft. Nothing all that special. Maybe we'd get lucky and the Clippers would remember how to screw things up by 2017 though. We'll see.

Stay tuned for updates.

Also see (great minds think alike): Sacks The Negotiator - Clips Nation

Poll

Would you accept a deal of Doc and KG for DeAndre Jordan and 2 future first rounders?

Will Paul Pierce join Doc Rivers, Kevin Garnett in Los Angeles if trade happens?

Satchel Price — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:17:50 -0000

A trade sending Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett seems increasingly likely Monday afternoon, but will Paul Pierce join his fellow Celtics counterparts in Los Angeles next season? The future Hall of Fame forward isn't a part of the current deal involving the Clippers, but ESPN's Marc Stein says that "league-wide expectation is he will wind up" with the team.

Even though there's not a possible way for Pierce and KG to fit into the same package deal which will result in Doc taking over as Clippers coach, Stein notes some alternative possibilities. Given that Pierce's roughly $15 million salary for next season is only partially guaranteed, some team could acquire Pierce and then release him to gain the salary cap savings.

If that doesn't work out, the Celtics could always buy out him themselves, letting Pierce hit unrestricted free agency. In either scenario, he would then have the freedom to negotiate a contract with the Clippers.

Should this whole scenario play out, it's likely the Clippers will be one of the top teams in the league going into next season. Armed with Garnett, Pierce, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, Los Angeles would be in complete win-now mode. Still, as we saw in that very city this season with the Lakers, a great roster on paper during the offseason doesn't always lead to success on the court.

More from SB Nation:

• Flannery: Finally, The Manu Game | How the Spurs won

• Spurs take Game 5, now just one win from the title

• Ziller: 6 minutes of hell for LeBron James

• Anti-NBA mock draft: Evolution of ESPN's Top-100 Big Board

• NBA mock draft: Best-case scenarios | Scouting reports | Big Board

Lakers are confident Dwight will stay, would prefer cap space to sign-and-trade, according to report

Drew Garrison — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 16:13:30 -0000

The Los Angeles Lakers remain confident that Dwight Howard will re-sign with the franchise this Summer and have had "several discussions" with Howard's representatives, according to the latest update from Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

The Lakers may a handful of sign-and-trade options on the table this Summer if their confidence is misplaced, however, including an offer involving Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin from the Houston Rockets. Howard is expected to give the Rockets serious consideration this Summer and Houston has assets to offer Los Angeles, but the Lakers are expected to turn away sign-and-trade offers in favor of maintaining financial flexibility from 2014 and onward, according to Shelburne and Stein.

More on Dwight's free agency: Howard and Paul want to play together

This update comes on the heels of a report that the Los Angeles Clippers could offer Blake Griffin and Eric Bledsoe to the Lakers for Howard in a sign-and-trade scenario. Reports that the Lakers will not consider doing business with the Clippers may be "overblown", and should the Clippers make an offer of Griffin and Bledsoe, it's unlikely that the Lakers will outright dismiss engaging in trade talks, reports Shelburne.

Scenarios continue to sprout for Howard and the Lakers as July 1 draws near.

- Drew

- Follow this author on Twitter @DrewGarrisonSBN

Pacers Off-Season Rumors: Danny Granger for Eric Bledsoe?

Evan Sidery — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 13:42:52 -0000

According to USA TODAY's Sam Amick, the Los Angeles Clippers are willing to give up Eric Bledsoe for Danny Granger. The question is, does this deal make sense from Indiana's point of view?

Los Angeles could not fully take on Granger's contract unless another one from the Clippers is sent back to Indiana. That contract would have to be Caron Butler, who is making $8 million next season. Adding in Butler, makes the trade work financially and also fairly balanced. The Clippers have been searching for their "3rd star" alongside Chris Paul and Blake Griffin according to ESPN LA's Ramona Shelburne.

As I mentioned earlier in the week, Clips have been "shaking every tree" looking for 3rd star. Have interest in Afflalo, Granger, others...
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) June 16, 2013

LA thinks Danny Granger could be that "3rd star" that complete their lineup and make them major title contenders. Sending Danny would be a tough pill to swallow for fans, but if you could get back a young asset in Bledsoe and a veteran wing to play behind Paul George would be huge for the second unit.

The starting lineup of George Hill, Lance Stephenson, George, David West, and Roy Hibbert is locked in for the next few years, if West is re-signed (highly likely). Both Kevin Prichard and Donnie Walsh both know they need extra pieces to fill out their second unit to become a complete team.

Even though it would be tough to see, trading Granger for a duo like Bledsoe and Butler would help round-out this team. As you can tell, I am on board to make this trade happen, but are the rest of you?

We will see soon if this rumor actually has legs, but it makes sense for both sides.

Poll

Should Indiana listen to the Clippers' offer for Danny Granger in a package centered around Eric Bledsoe?

Clippers to offer Blake Griffin and Eric Bledsoe for Dwight Howard, according to report

Drew Garrison — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 22:47:21 -0000

The Los Angeles Clippers are considering offering Blake Griffin and Eric Bledsoe to the Los Angeles Lakers for Dwight Howard in a sign-and-trade deal this Summer, reports Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. A source close to the Lakers, however, says the Lakers will "never do it" and have fully resisted offers from the Clippers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Reports that the Lakers will not do business with the Clippers may be "overblown" however, Shelburne adds.

On Friday rumors of Chris Paul and Howard wanting to play together surfaced. Since then, the Clippers have been in trade talks with the Boston Celtics as they make an attempt to land Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett, and have been hesitant to add Bledsoe into trade discussions.

Can a sign-and-trade happen fit under salary restrictions, though?

Yes, the Lakers can send out Howard in a sign-and-trade scenario as long as the team receiving him is under the "apron", according to Larry Coon's collective bargaining agreement FAQ:

Starting in 2013-14, the team receiving the player cannot be above the "apron" ($4 million above the tax level) after the trade. A team above the apron can receive a player in a sign-and-trade if the trade reduces the team's payroll and the team finishes the trade below the apron.

The tax level has not been specifically announced, but for the 2011-2012 season it was $70 million. If the Clippers can keep their salary under $74 million, then a sign-and-trade would work under league rules.

Whether it fits within league regulations may not matter though, as the Lakers front office appears to be firmly against sending Howard across the hall in a sign-and-trade.

- Drew

- Follow this author on Twitter @DrewGarrisonSBN

Kevin Garnett would waive no-trade clause to join Clippers, according to report

Satchel Price — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 20:27:59 -0000

Should the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers agree to a deal involving Doc Rivers and others, big man Kevin Garnett will waive his no-trade clause to accommodate the move, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

For a deal that's likely to be quite complicated if completed, the blessing from KG removes one obstacle looming over the two teams.

Clips Nation: Are the 2014 Cliptics a real possibility?

While the Clippers reportedly passed on a possible deal that would've exchanged Eric Bledsoe and DeAndre Jordan for Garnett during the season, the team seems more open to a deal that also brings in Rivers. Should both Celtics end up heading to L.A., it's possible Paul Pierce could join them to form one of the league's top contenders.

Leading the way in Boston, Garnett and Rivers likely wouldn't be capable of carrying the Celtics to the top of the league again. Teaming up with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin certainly bolsters those chances.

More from SB Nation:

• Wade returns to his roots

• How LeBron and Wade manipulated space

• Big 3 ignite Heat | What went wrong for the Spurs?

• Keeping Doc Rivers against his will

• NBA mock draft: Best-case scenarios | Scouting reports | Big Board

Are the 2014 Cliptics a real possibility?

Steve Perrin — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 18:23:24 -0000

Well these Doc Rivers-driven Clippers/Celtics rumors don't seem to be going away, and it's reaching the point where I think something might actually happen here. That which was termed far-fetched by Broderick Turner yesterday seems much nearer-fetched today.

It seems strange to think of the Clippers as the "All-in on a title, mortgage the future" team in a trade scenario -- that's traditionally been the role of the Lakers, or even the Celtics for that matter. But there's an undeniable logic to the broad strokes of a Clippers-Celtics deal.

There's simply not enough talent around the aging Kevin Garnett (37) and Paul Pierce (35) in Beantown for them to compete for a championship at this point which means that a rebuild in a post Pierce-Garnett era is inevitable. Rivers has been there nine seasons and is the most highly paid coach in the NBA at $7M per season -- he doesn't want to preside over a rebuiild, and the Celtics probably would prefer not to spend that kind of coin for a coach who's worried more about player development than playoff wins.

The Clippers on the other hand have two superstars in place, but feel like they need to put some more help around them to succeed in the playoffs. After posting the best record in the NBA over the course of November and December last year, expectations got very high for the team -- losing in the first round of the playoffs, albeit to a very good Memphis team, was a rude awakening.

The broad strokes of the deal are pretty straightforward. Garnett, Pierce and Rivers would leave Boston and reconvene in Playa Vista and some combination of assets that would almost certainly include DeAndre Jordan, Caron Butler, Eric Bledsoe and one or more draft picks would head to the Celtics. As Arash Markazi and Larry Coon point out, the salary cap math is quite doable. Whether it's a single trade or multiple, this can happen.

Now, a Garnett for Jordan and Bledsoe deal was on the table last year, and the Clippers were tempted by the offer. And given DeAndre's disappearing act in the playoffs, there's room for regret over not pulling the trigger at that time. Garnett is a dozen years older than Jordan, that much is true -- but Jordan has two more years and $22M left on a contract that feels bloated. The notion that he is the Clippers center of the future is likely incorrect -- he probably only has two more seasons in LA before the Clippers move on anyway. Is two seasons of Garnett before moving on really a 'future-mortgage' scenario? Not really.

The same goes for Butler. Pierce is older than Butler, but not by a lot (two and a half years to be precise). And Pierce was a LOT more productive than Butler last season. Basically, in this Cliptics (or if you prefer, Celpers) scenario, the Clippers upgrade at two of their problem positions in their starting five, and the Celtics start their rebuild now, which is when it needs to start. It's a win-win.

Clearly, the Clippers are going to have to include some assets to help jumpstart that rebuild, and the question is exactly how many. And because Rivers' contract in Boston includes a non-compete clause forbidding him from coaching another team until the end of the remaining three years, Danny Ainge will be perfectly within his rights to ask for compensation in exchange for waiving the non-compete.

This is where it all gets tricky. It's reasonable to ask whether Donald Sterling would ever actually employ the highest paid coach in the league; we're through the looking glass already with that idea alone, but let's assume that the lure of an NBA championship is enough to make that happen.

There are two kinds of assets in the NBA -- those belonging to the owner, and those belonging to the team. As a fan, I could not care less about the owner's money -- fans always want the owner to spend freely, and for something like a coach's salary, there is literally no downside (aside from the theoretical long term impact on ticket prices, maybe). But team assets -- young players, draft picks, even cap space -- fans feel almost as much ownership over those as does the owner or the front office. Those are difficult to sacrifice, because doing so may mean creating a very big future problem.

What kind of bargain would Ainge drive, just to hold hostage an unhappy coach that he probably doesn't want anymore? Let's face it -- if Rivers is willing to walk away from $21M, isn't it in Boston's interest to let him do that, particularly if they've come to grips with the idea of Pierce and Garnett moving on? The Celtics can replace Rivers with a much less expensive coach who can work on developing the young players that they'll bring in (maybe someone like Vinny Del Negro).

Now, assume that Rivers, Pierce and Garnett all want this to happen. These men, as much as anyone, are responsible for a championship in Boston, a return to Celtic pride and glory -- they have given a great deal to Ainge and the Celtics over the years. Is Ainge going keep them from pursuing another ring together in L.A. over an additional future first rounder? It's difficult to say. It would be very different if he were making a deal with the Lakers or another Eastern Conference team. But might Ainge be more inclined to facilitate this trade knowing that he could tweak the Lakers in the process? The enemy of my enemy... yadda yadda.

So is Ainge going to load bad contracts like Jason Terry and Courtney Lee into the transaction -- contracts that would essentially be deal breakers since the Clippers would have no more assets they'd be willing to trade -- or insist on multiple future first rounders? Or is he going to find the price the Clippers are willing to pay, and walk away with his restarter package, wishing his close friends and former allies good luck in Hollywood? And by the way, while it's not insignificant to trade away first round draft picks, when you're expecting to be among the best teams in the NBA, it's a little less painful, since you know that pick is going to be low and would only yield a player who would have difficulty finding any playing time.

(The most interesting twist in this entire scenario is the remote possibility that Del Negro could end up coaching Jordan in Boston next season. Jordan clearly needs a fresh start with a different coach -- Del Negro never showed much confidence in his young center, which probably stunted his growth. Jordan was undoubtedly the happiest Clipper when Del Negro's contract wasn't renewed -- he'd be equally unhappy if they were reunited in Boston.)

Over on Celtics Blog, there's a poll asking the readership of they'd support a deal of Pierce and Garnett (and my extension Rivers) for Jordan, Butler, Bledsoe and two first rounders. Seventy percent say yes, and only 18 percent way no. That tells you it makes sense for Boston. Could it get done with fewer Clippers assets, maybe a first and a second instead of two firsts? Maybe. But it might make sense even with two firsts.

At any rate, an idea that very recently seemed quite far-fetched keeps fetching nearer and nearer.

Poll

Would you trade Bledsoe, Jordan, Butler, and 2 first rounders to the Celtics for Pierce, Garnett, and Doc Rivers?

Dwight Howard rumors: Lakers reportedly not interested in a sign-and-trade scenario

JayPatt — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 17:27:13 -0000

Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard might want to play for a new team this offseason, but the Lakers have no intention of moving him in a sign-and-trade, according to Lakers Nation's Mark Heisler.

The Lakers hope to re-sign Howard. If he decides to bolt, though, they will apparently be fine with banking the nearly $50 million in salary and luxury tax savings. Los Angeles would then have even more cap space available for the free agent class of 2014 that could include LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, among other stars.

More: Dwight Howard, Mike D'Antoni 'perfect' for each other

If the Lakers are truly unwilling to sign-and-trade Howard, that eliminates the already highly unlikely scenario of the big man and Chris Paul teaming up with the Clippers -- apparently the preferred option of the two superstars -- because the belief is that Howard would have to be involved in a sign-and-trade for Blake Griffin. As it stands, however, neither team seems very interested in executing such a deal.

The Lakers' opposition against a sign-and-trade would also hurt the Houston Rockets' chances of teaming up Howard and Paul. The Rockets are already trying to open up max salary space for a run at Howard, but it would only be feasible to make a run at both if they were able to deal the combined $16.8 million owed to Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin.

The Lakers have no interest in taking on that salary, however, as they'd reportedly rather save the money and pay for a more impactful player down the line.

More from SB Nation:

• Wade returns to his roots

• How LeBron and Wade manipulated space

• Big 3 ignite Heat | What went wrong for the Spurs?

• Keeping Doc Rivers against his will

• NBA mock draft: Best-case scenarios | Scouting reports | Big Board

SB Nation - Blake Griffin

Orlando Magic trade rumor: Arron Afflalo deal could be "next" for Clippers after landing Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett, according to report

Celtics may be willing to accept two draft picks instead of cap savings

Would you accept a deal of Doc and KG for DeAndre Jordan and 2 future first rounders?

Will Paul Pierce join Doc Rivers, Kevin Garnett in Los Angeles if trade happens?

More from SB Nation:

Lakers are confident Dwight will stay, would prefer cap space to sign-and-trade, according to report

Pacers Off-Season Rumors: Danny Granger for Eric Bledsoe?

Should Indiana listen to the Clippers' offer for Danny Granger in a package centered around Eric Bledsoe?

Clippers to offer Blake Griffin and Eric Bledsoe for Dwight Howard, according to report

Kevin Garnett would waive no-trade clause to join Clippers, according to report

More from SB Nation:

Are the 2014 Cliptics a real possibility?

How a megadeal might work between the Celtics and Clippers

Would you trade Bledsoe, Jordan, Butler, and 2 first rounders to the Celtics for Pierce, Garnett, and Doc Rivers?

Dwight Howard rumors: Lakers reportedly not interested in a sign-and-trade scenario

More from SB Nation: