Carmelo Anthony and Blake Griffin (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Clippers have NBA rival teams salivating over trade rumors involving the team's All-Star forward Blake Griffin.
ESPN's Zach Lowe suggested in his story that the Clippers should consider trading Griffin, one of the franchise's cornerstones.
Lowe cited plenty of factors why the Clips should put Griffin on the trading block. One of which is the broken hand the high-flying forward suffered after punching a friend in the face, which technically harms the team's chances of making a strong run in the postseason.
"The Clippers think the healing process might actually take two months, in which case Griffin would return with only two short weeks before the start of the playoffs," Lowe wrote.
"That is probably enough to crush Clipper dreams of catching Oklahoma City for the No. 3 spot -- and avoiding a second-round appointment with Golden State."
Griffin's present situation with the Clippers has sparked trade talks around the league, and one of the explored scenario for the Slam Dunk champion is a trade to the New York Knicks for superstar Carmelo Anthony.
Lowe also proposed a Griffin to the Knicks deal in his story, but other media outlets have also considered such package.
SB Nation's Jesus Gomez, who also sourced Lowe's report, noted that the Knicks could be the "best possible landing spot" for Griffin.
Griffin in the Big Apple would create a monster frontcourt alongside Latvian rookie Kristaps Porzingis, and could possibly be the first scoring option for New York as the 6-foot-10 forward has proven at times he could be the go-to-guy in LA.
On the other hand, the Clippers would have a floor-spacer in Anthony, who could fit well on Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan's pick-and-roll game.
Gerald Bourguet of Sports Illustrated's Fansided also suggested a Griffin for Anthony deal. According to Bourguet, the Clippers would get another go-to-scorer in Anthony, "but one whose game is perimeter-oriented."
While Anthony is only shooting 33.7 percent from beyond the arc, Bourguet argued that the 31-year-old superstar would benefit well from more wide open looks, with Doc Rivers' style of offense.
Meanwhile, the Knicks get to have Griffin, who is "extremely marketable" and an essential piece to build around for the future, according to Bourguet.
There is no definite interests from both teams yet, but if a deal materializes, a straight swap would work, according to ESPN's trade machine.
However, Anthony has a no-trade clause, which means his consent is needed if the Knicks plan to trade him. Moreover, Ian Begley of ESPN reported that Anthony has become too valuable for the Knicks to trade him, with the veteran unusually emerging as a distributor, averaging 6.1 assists in his last seven outings.
"He didn't try to take over the game," Knicks coach Derek Fisher said after the team's 102-84 win over the Phoenix Suns. "He has been playing that type of basketball for several weeks now. When he's sharing the ball and making everyone else better, we're a much better basketball team."
The idea of trading away Anthony, Knicks' franchise player, is too far-fetched. But still, anything can happen before the Feb. 18 deadline.
