Celtics Reportedly Targeting Blake Griffin, 'Major Deal' Soon?
BOSTON (CBS) -- You can't go a few hours without hearing a new rumor about the Boston Celtics, but it sounds like they may actually be swinging a monster trade in the very near future.
According to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, Danny Ainge will be completing a "major deal soon," with Clippers forward Blake Griffin the target:
The likely target for the Celtics, according to front-office sources, is Clippers forward Blake Griffin. The Clippers have been weighing trading Griffin all season, and the possibility of a three-team package involving Sacramento sending Rudy Gay to the Clippers has emerged. The Celtics would give up some number of their upcoming draft picks, but opposing front-office members say they don't want to give up either Brooklyn pick Boston can own in the next two years.
The Clippers have 31-year-old point guard Chris Paul on hand, and league sources have said that if the Clippers move Griffin — a move that Clippers coach and front-office head Doc Rivers is reluctant to make — they will want a deal that involves draft picks and a frontline star who can keep them in Western Conference contention.
A five-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA selection, Griffin has averaged 21.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per game over his six-year career. The Clippers have made the playoffs in five of Griffin's six seasons, with the forward averaging 21.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per contest.
Griffin is an explosive scorer and gifted rebounder, but injuries remain a big concern for the 27-year-old. He played in just 35 games during the 2015-16 season due a torn quad and hand injury he sustained after punching the Clippers assistant equipment manager. That off-the-court incident earned him a four-game suspension from the team, which he served after returning from those injuries.
Griffin, the first-overall pick in 2009 out of Oklahoma, is signed through next season with a $21.3 million player option for the 2017-18 season.