Blake Griffin (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The Toronto Raptors could be eyeing a trade for LA Clippers forward Blake Griffin, who has been in the heat of trade talks in recent weeks.
Griffin has been heavily linked to trade rumors and probably one of the few names around the league that could be traded this offseason. Teams like the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder have been mentioned as potential landing spots for the All-Star forward, but outside of the two teams, the Toronto Raptors could be a possible destination for Griffin, according to Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.
Favale explored a wild trade scenario for the Raptors to acquire Griffin, in which involving the Charlotte Hornets and Sacramento Kings.
In Favale's suggestion of a blockbuster deal, the Raptors acquire Griffin and Kosta Koufos, while the Clippers get Rudy Gay from Sacramento, and Jeremy Lamb, Cody Zeller, and a future draft pick from Charlotte.
The Hornets would then land Patrick Patterson and Jonas Valanciunas from the Raptors, with the Kings getting Spencer Hawes from Charlotte, Delon Wright from Toronto, and Paul Pierce and a future pick from LA.
"There are a lot of moving parts involved. But if the Clippers decide to get smaller and younger and the Raptors are still looking for another star to partner with DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, there's a mutual fit here," Favale wrote.
Adding Griffin to a lineup consisting of DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry and DeMarre Carroll should instantly create a formidable team that could rival super teams around the league. Griffin's ability to score in multiple ways would give the Raptors more options offensively. His athleticism would also push the pace of the team's offense and could play the five spot in a small-ball lineup.
On the other hand, Gay would provide the Clippers depth at the wing position and the addition of Lamb and Zeller should infuse LA with youth and rotational players who could thrive in Doc Rivers' system.
As for the Hornets, they get to replace the void left by Al Jefferson by acquiring Valanciunas from the Raptors, while the Kings receive a mix of young and veteran talents that may be best fitted in Sacramento.
It remains to be seen whether all four teams would consider such deal, but it seems a viable option to explore, especially for the Raptors and Clippers, who may want to tinker their roster after consecutive years of failing in the postseason.
Trading for Griffin, however, would be risky for the Raptors as the Clippers forward could opt to explore free agency next summer, which many believe a possibility, given yet another rise on cap space of teams. But if the Raptors could convince Griffin for an extension, it is a deal worth the risk.
