Doc Rivers has said that the Los Angeles Clippers did take trade calls for Blake Griffin, but they never really listened and always shot them down in a hurry.
Before the 2016 NBA trade deadline came and went to the disappointment of fans hoping to see some kind of blockbuster deal take place, the Los Angeles Clippers were heavily involved in absurd rumors. They surrounded superstar Blake Griffin, ranging from ideas that L.A. offered him to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for a group of players, to others around the league calling the Clippers to make offers of their own.
Unsurprisingly, though, head coach Doc Rivers was adamant that his team had no intention of trading its superstar. A strong record since Griffin’s injury, improved defense and startling small-ball success in his absence aside, there was no need to suddenly move him.
Losing a superstar, who can clearly do so much for the Clippers if you actually watch them play, just won’t take the team to a new level to compete with the likes of the Golden State Warriors. Nevertheless, as rumors persisted, it seemed as though Doc and Co. may have been entertaining the idea of moving Griffin after all, or at least weighing up possible packages they could receive in return.
However, as we all knew inside, this wasn’t really the case. And yet again, Doc has made this clear, while adding that the Clippers did answer calls but never listened with the possibility of accepting.
Doc participated in a Q&A with Yahoo! Sports, and Marc J. Spears has reported his comments about taking (and listening) to trade calls for Griffin:
"Q: Were there a lot of inquiries from NBA teams about Griffin before the recent trade deadline?Rivers: “There was some, but not a lot because we shot them down so quickly. Reading about some of these crazy rumors in the paper was comical to us. …“You can take the call, but you don’t have to listen. We like our team. We’re in the job of trying to make our team better, but we like our team.”"
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As Doc said, teams can take the call, but they don’t need to listen. Many franchises would love to add a versatile, hyper athletic point guard-power forward in their prime. Beyond the improving skill set that allows him to score and run an offense in so many ways, he’s under contract for two more years which adds even more long-term value. For a team looking to turn around their future, there’s no question that Griffin can be a cornerstone.
The interesting point Doc made in the Q&A was that the Clippers are “in the job of trying to make our team better”. As we discussed here, he is open to signing a new player if he finds the right one, which makes the increasing number of options available on the buyout market worth looking into.
Next: Blake Griffin is still 'not close' to returning
Now, as the Clippers proceed this season, fans can hope that the 21-7 record without Griffin only improves as they await his return.