It sounds like the Oklahoma City Thunder may be keeping Russell Westbrook, and one of their top targets to pair with him next summer is Los Angeles Clippers star Blake Griffin.
The Los Angeles Clippers are not looking to trade Blake Griffin to the Boston Celtics and they aren’t going to lose one of the top players in the league for Rudy Gay. Thankfully, those ridiculous rumors have been swept aside. Griffin should still be with the Clippers next summer, although he has the freedom to opt out of his contract and seek a major pay rise with the increasing cap. As one of the top free agents on the market he’ll be hotly pursued by many, with his hometown Oklahoma City Thunder focusing on him as a top target.
Beyond the hometown connection to OKC and two years playing for the Oklahoma Sooners in college, Griffin’s talent is undeniable. The playmaking, explosive, pick-and-roll potential alongside Russell Westbrook is a thrilling prospect for Thunder fans, and it’s something the team want to pursue.
Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical has reported the interest in Griffin:
"For Westbrook, the most likely scenario for a renegotiation would be to use the Thunder’s cap space to guarantee he will stay under contract with the Thunder through the 2017-18 season. This would give Oklahoma City the chance to recruit one of its top targets – 2017 free agent and Oklahoma native Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers – to partner with Westbrook, league sources said."
The Thunder making Griffin a top target in 2017 is hardly much of a surprise. Alongside Paul Millsap he’s the class of free agency in terms of power forwards next summer, and after losing Serge Ibaka (also a free agent next year) in the draft night trade with the Orlando Magic, OKC will be in the market for a power forward.
When that player can be Griffin to form a superstar duo with Westbrook, that’s especially the case.
However, the question of whether or not Westbrook will even be around to be a part of such a duo persists. It’s a fear that Thunder fans have been living with since Kevin Durant left for Golden State and reports emerged that the team may listen to trade offers for Russ if they can’t renegotiate a contract. You can’t lose two generational superstars for nothing, and in back to back years would be even more gut wrenching.
To help maintain the sanity of Thunder fans, though, Woj also reported that Westbrook isn’t available:
"Nevertheless, Westbrook is a proponent of the young talent on the Thunder roster and is eager to lead the team in the 2016-17 season, sources said. So far, league sources said, teams that have reached out to the Thunder about trading for Westbrook have been told that he isn’t available."
On top of that, Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman has reported that Westbrook has given the Thunder “no indication” he wants to leave:
"Westbrook has given the Thunder no indication that he currently wants out. To the contrary, one source described him as ticked off about the Kevin Durant departure, determined for this new challenge and eager for the season to start: “He’s ready.”"
If that’s the case and the Thunder keep Westbrook, trying to lure Griffin away from the Clippers next summer is a logical next step.
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To compliment the agile defense and hustle of center Steven Adams, Griffin’s passing to take some of the creating pressure of Westbrook, not to mention scoring, make him one of the best players they could pursue.
Whether or not Griffin rates OKC over other offers or even wants to play at home is yet to be seen, but that’s just one of the exciting things we get to experience in another loaded free agency class. Alongside Durant (again), reigning two-time MVP Stephen Curry is hitting the market, too.
As for the Clippers, the upcoming season could really be the penultimate year of the Lob City era. Both Chris Paul and Griffin have player options to test free agency, and if the Clippers fail to make it in the playoffs again (especially if they miss the Western Conference Finals), it would be understandable if they seek a fresh start.
Next: Clippers' next move needs to be signing a small forward
There are only so many times you can come close, suffer bad luck, and brush it off for another try in a year’s time. Whether it’s for just that, a fresh start, or greater championship chances elsewhere, both may leave the Clippers and Griffin to Oklahoma City seems like one possibility.