Most of the trade rumors involving the Boston Celtics over the last few weeks have centered around Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler.
One player who was linked to the Celtics last July was Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin. The rumor quickly fizzled, though.
ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe wrote Monday that the Celtics and Clippers have talked about Griffin, but that any potential trade is a real long shot.
“They have talked intermittently with the Clippers about Blake Griffin, per several league sources, but a deal is extremely unlikely,” Lowe writes.
Griffin is a really talented player and a legit superstar, but his history of injuries should be a concern for any rival team interested in acquiring him. Furthermore, Griffin only would be a rental — he’ll be an unrestricted free agent if he doesn’t pick up his player option for 2017-18 — and that doesn’t seem to be the Celtics’ plan of attack ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.
The cost for Griffin, of course, would be quite high, as Lowe noted, “the Clips would ask for a bounty, starting with Jae Crowder and one of the Avery Bradley/Marcus Smart duo, plus picks, per league sources.”
Butler is a much better fit for the Celtics. He’s a better player than Griffin, he’s less injury prone and his contract would be better for Boston. Make no mistake, Griffin is a very good player, but the Celtics should look elsewhere in their quest for another superstar.
Thumbnail photo via Russ Isabella/USA TODAY Sports Images
