Countdown to the trade deadline: Blake Griffin

Let's start out by saying this is a PROPOSED trade, though a well-informed one by the Ringer's Kevin O'Connor incorporating elements of recent rumblings based in solid league sources tying Carmelo Anthony to the Los Angeles Clippers (and not that unlike something proposed by us a few weeks ago).


The details would see Avery Bradley and Melo sent to the Clippers, Blake Griffin and Paul Pierce to the Boston Celtics, and Amir Johnson plus Jamal Crawford and the 2018 Celtics, 2019 Memphis Grizzlies, and 2019 Clippers  first-round picks. The logic here is that such a move would allow the Clippers to get both a scoring boost and an improvement to perimeter defense while placating Chris Paul on the eve of his impending free agency. It would also provide New York enough assets to make the trade palatable to the fanbase (and for rebuilding around Kristaps Porzingis), with the added play-making and scoring threat for Boston via Griffin helping to take some of the pressure off Isaiah Thomas.

The added bonus of Pierce retiring in green has its appeal as well, particularly with players like Jalen Brown on the roster to soak up the veteran leadership the Truth could provide. It also would help by converting that bevvy of middling picks into the kind of player who might push Boston into a contender, solving the issue of housing those players (and their cap holds) in the near future reality where the Celts will have serious payroll issues to contend with. Bradley's looming end to his below-market contract will help hugely in that regard, too, but there's some potential downside to consider, too.


What if Blake doesn't re-sign? Granted, Avery's situation in the context of team cap space might force him off the roster anyway, but losing him and three picks - even ones Boston won't have room for all of - would sting badly. And there's issues of health, too - Griffin has had recurrent problems with his legs, and his athleticism has taken a small but noticeable hit. To be fair, Bradley is also somewhat injury-prone, but an injured Avery and the assets listed would be better than only having an injured Blake.

It's also fair to question whether the move - which would take Boston out of summer free agency consideration for max-contract players - is the right one. On one hand, it would arguably be the best possible move given all the unknowns about free agency under the new collective bargaining agreement; it puts the Celts into a strong position in the East without sacrificing the core youth movement, making the Al Horford signing worthwhile. On the other hand, it's not beyond the pale to suggest teams like the Golden State Warriors or Cleveland Cavaliers could see some of their top-tier players defect given their own cap situations and - especially if the Clippers actually converted this trade into a banner - if those teams and their sky-high expectations do not produce a title.

So, what's the deal with this proposal? Pure genius, one-sided, or a pipe dream? Here's the part where we probe the depths of the CelticsLife hive-mind: take the Twitter poll, and leave us detailed comments in the mentions or the comment section below on YOUR thoughts on whether there should be a Blake Griffin/Carmelo Anthony/Avery Bradley trade, and what it should entail. We’ll use the best - and funniest - in our write-up of your thoughts.



For more stories about the trade deadline on CelticsLife, click here. For more by Justin, click here.





Lower image via the Ringer
Follow Justin at @justinquinnn
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