Carmelo Anthony and Blake Griffin (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
Jimmy Butler stays with the Bulls. (Photo : REUTERS/John E. Sokolowski)
The LA Clippers were hoping that this season will be the one where cross the hump.
They are still alive, but the loss to the Portland Trail Blazers at home and with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin out, it may just be delaying the inevitable.
Doc Rivers has already admitted the lineup can become stale if they still fail to make the leap. While it was due to injuries, the players are not getting any younger and Chris Paul will also become a free agent at the end of the 2017 season. The Clippers need to improve quickly.
This is the rationale for Today's Fastbreak evaluating the quick fixes available for a Blake Griffin trade. His return has sparked interest around the league. Rivers was rewarded for his prudence at the trade deadline when he did not entertain lowball offers.
The success of the team when Griffin was out and the Clippers played with a faster, smaller lineup may be the way to go. Thus, there are two scenarios that seem plausible.
Carmelo Anthony has a no-trade clause but it has been reported by the NY Post that he could agree to a blockbuster trade to the Clippers as it will give him the chance to contend and still be in a major entertainment city.
Blake Griffin is younger than Carmelo, but Rivers knows he's on the edge with CP3, and trading for his close friend Melo would be the best insurance that he would not leave.
A three-way trade that would involve the Celtics is also possible. In that scenario, Griffin would be traded to Boston and the Knicks would get Avery Bradley, Jonas Jerebko and a newly signed Evan Turner, a player the Knicks are rumored to covet.
However, there is a trade that may seem less complicated. Jimmy Butler is one of the best two-way wings in the league. He could help the Clippers' perimeter defense-one of their main weaknesses. Butler is already involved in numerous trade talks due to the turmoil in Chicago, which unraveled when they failed to make the playoffs.
Writer Jared Mintz of TF noted that "(Butler's) ability to run an offense would help make life easier for Paul, who was marvelous without Griffin." He noted that the Clips went 31-16 while Griffin was out, and inserting Butler into that team would be fearsome.
The Clippers need a star in exchange for Griffin if they want to retain Chris Paul. The 2017 free agency will also feature a salary cap spike so more teams could run after CP3. The Clips must not miss a beat in contending, especially next season.
