Now that the initial surprise of the Blake Griffin trade is gone, we are starting to learn about some of the other offers the Los Angeles Clippers pursued for their Clipper For Life.
Griffin landing in Detroit may be a bit of a surprise, but the package the Pistons sent back is far from some of the big names Steve Ballmer’s team wanted for Blake from other squads.
ESPN’s The Hoop Collective podcast on Thursday featured a bunch of NBA insiders all discussing the Griffin trade, as well as the other possible landing spots for the forward. According to SLAM, ESPN’s Royce White suggested the Clippers had some bigger names in mind for Griffin, including Oklahoma City’s Paul George.
“I know that they made calls to Oklahoma City for Paul George,” White said. “I’m pretty sure they made calls to Minnesota for players. So they tried to get some bigger-name players. It just wasn’t happening.”
A move like that for George actually happening would have likely meant that the Thunder didn’t feel they can re-sign the pending free agent, though there have been some indications that George is more open to staying in Oklahoma City thanks to Russell Westbrook than many initially thought.
George would also have to want to stay with the Clippers, otherwise the franchise would essentially be throwing away its centerpiece for a one-year rental. But it’s all conjecture anyway, as neither team could make the deal happen and the Clippers moved on to the Pistons.
This rumor might be looked at in a different light in a few months, especially if George ends up somewhere other than Oklahoma City next fall. But for now, it’s just another example in a long line of what ifs this season.
