The Los Angeles Clippers could be ready to move on from the team's pair of superstars in Chris Paul and Blake Griffin following another disappointing exit in the postseason.
A short-handed Clippers are out of the NBA title race once again after falling short against the Portland Trailblazers in their best-of-seven series, no thanks to Paul's hand injury and Griffin's troublesome quadriceps.
Following the Clippers' 4-2 series defeat against a Portland team hungry for playoff success, Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times believes the futures of both Paul and Griffin become uncertain, sparking concerns whether the Clippers are ready to move on from the aforementioned superstars.
Bresnahan noted the five-year pairing of Paul and Griffin has not been successful and may lead to the team on contemplating to trade both players.
"The Clippers' duo has never been past the second round of the playoffs," Bresnahan wrote.
While there are no confirmation yet whether the Clippers plan on trading both players, if a potential move is considered, Bresnahan has suggested Oklahoma City Thunder as a possible destination for Griffin.
"Maybe Oklahoma City is legitimately worried about losing Kevin Durant in free agency and will listen to a deal for Griffin, Jamal Crawford and a couple of first-round picks. (Durant and Crawford would have to be signed at fair-market value before being included in a sign-and-trade deal.)," Bresnahan noted.
It is no secret that Durant will be heading to free agency whether the Thunder make the NBA Finals or not. With plenty of teams expected to pith for Durant's service, OKC could consider a sign-and-trade deal for the two-time scoring champion to acquire Griffin.
Griffin would be an equal replacement for Durant in terms of star power, but the All-Star power forward may not be a good fit to a team already loaded with frontcourt talents.
Meanwhile, a more compelling scenario for Paul was suggested by Paul Centopani of Sports Illustrated's The Cauldron, exploring a four-team blockbuster deal that involves four teams: Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and New York Knicks.
Centropani, whose proposed deal probably drew inspiration from Bleacher Report reporter Howard Beck's piece about the close relationship of Paul, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Lebron James, reported a potential deal that would send the Clippers All-Star guard to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he joins all of his four close superstar friends.
The trade scenario would see the Clippers sending Paul to the Cavs and Griffin to the Heat. In return, LA gets Cavs' Kevin Love and JR Smith, and Heat's Goran Dragic.
While this deal may seem too complicated and far-fetched this offseason, it could make sense for Paul to join other superstars in a team as he attempts to win his first NBA championship.
With the free agency gradually approaching, the Clippers will have a chance to recruit other veterans that could convince Paul and Griffin for another run next season. Otherwise, if Los Angeles decides on moving on from the Clippers superstars, Paul and Griffin could find themselves playing for another NBA team next season.