The NBA trade rumors focus on a possible blockbuster trade in the off-season if both the LA Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder strike out.
The two teams mentioned seem are looking up to the two juggernauts, Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs, and if they get beaten badly, the two teams may realize that they really don't stand a chance to win a title with their rosters as currently constructed.
There is a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports that mentioned the Clippers as possible suitors for Kevin Durant, but recently talks of a Blake Griffin trade have replaced that.
"Outside of those well-known suitors - Washington, Houston and Miami - there's another California team determined to make a bid for Durant, league sources tell The Vertical: The Los Angeles Clippers," Wojnarowski stated. "If the opportunity comes to move Blake Griffin and replace him with Durant, the Clippers won't hesitate, sources said."
At this point in time, Kevin Durant is more of a complete player than Blake Griffin is and the fact that DeAndre Jordan, Griffin and Chris Paul are less than perfect fits is often set aside because of the team's success and their Lob City dunks.
Another team that may have to face their dwindling championship chances is the OKC Thunder. They may have the best duo in the league and they also get along, but while that would usually translate into a championship (Kobe-Shaq comes to mind) the Thunder have always fallen short. There were injuries in the past season, but this year, they don't seem to have a chance even when healthy.
Steve Ilardi of ESPN Insider mentioned that this could bring about changes to the team, and the league, even, in light of Durant's impending free agency.
"If Durant were to decide he needs a change of scenery and relocation to a bigger market, I'd love to see a straight-up swap of KD for Griffin. Griffin is a local hero in Oklahoma and would be pretty sweet consolation for a Thunder team losing one of the game's brightest stars," Ilardi said. "The Clips, of course, would vault immediately into serious title contention with the addition of Durant."
Durant is a better fit with the Clippers with Paul and Jordan that Durant was, and the fact that they're 18-4 with Griffin injured supports that.
It will be a step back for OKC if Durant was replaced by Griffin, but if Durant was already leaving anyway, Blake would be the best consolation for the team.
At this point, any talk of Durant-Griffin is purely speculation but we do not know if the team's front offices have already pondered this possibility.