Blake Griffin (Photo : The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
After the revelation that the Boston Celtics are on the verge of sealing the deal to acquire a star player, the big question was the identity of their target.
The clues and details of that news can be seen here. Despite the repeated admonitions of Dan Lifshatz, who tweeted out the development, Boston fans went on a frenzied guessing game.
Now, there are already details that have emerged from a source in Las Vegas, Keith Smith of Real GM, that identified Blake Griffin as the target in a three-way trade that will also involve Rudy Gay.
Hearing some rumors here in Las Vegas that BOS is talking Blake Griffin again. And this time it could be a 3 way with SAC getting R. Gay.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 11, 2016
To clarify my earlier tweet: BOS would get Griffin, LAC would get Gay and SAC would get Crowder. Other pieces also involved. — Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 11, 2016
Nolan Connor of Celtics Life reminded that Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck mentioned that they were in talks to acquire a player with off the court issues. He also said that the price tag for the "difficult player" dropped after draft night.
While "difficult" and "off the court" issues are usually words connected to DeMarcus Cousins, they are also applicable to Jahlil Okafor who was involved in an altercation in a bar in Boston.
However, Connor stated that "breaking your hand on your trainers' face and missing the majority of the season likely qualifies." He also mentioned that the Brooklyn Nets' picks are likely in play in the transaction. Smith, the source of the rumor, did not specifically cite the picks, but did tweet:
I want to make one thing clear: the rumors I heard were not just Griffin, Crowder and Gay. Obviously that isn't fair value. Other stuff too.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 12, 2016
On the other side, Tom West of Clipperholics doesn't seem optimistic of the trade. He also caught wind of the Smith's tweets, but he thinks that Rudy Gay is definitely not enough to pry away Griffin from the Clips.
This is exactly why the Brooklyn Nets' picks are involved. But West argues that Doc Rivers seems intent on keeping the Clippers' core group together.
"It still looks like the team will persist with one last run before Chris Paul and Griffin can test free agency next summer, hoping that some injuries will hit the Golden State Warriors to make them look a little less unsurpassable when the playoffs roll around," West argued.
Gay is a good fit with the Clippers, but Griffin is a rather steep price to pay and losing him would reduce the chances of beating the Golden State Warriors further. If Doc Rivers is after the Brooklyn Nets' picks, does this mean he is already looking towards the future?
