NBA trade rumors: Celtics, Clippers reportedly discussed Blake Griffin deal

The Clippers would ask for a lot in return for the All-Star forward

Now this is what the NBA trade deadline is all about!

Forget Jahlil Okafor, Lou Williams and Derrick Favors -- let’s talk about the big boys. According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, the Celtics and Clippers have engaged in trade talks involving All-Star forward Blake Griffin.

“[The Celtics] have talked intermittently with the Clippers about Blake Griffin in recent weeks, per several league sources, but a deal is extremely unlikely. Griffin will be a free agent this summer, and Boston would probably need official permission to talk to him about his future -- a concession Minnesota allowed Cleveland before the Kevin Love trade. 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.”

Note that Lowe said the trade is extremely unlikely, but remember that the Kings traded DeMarcus Cousins a few days after saying there was absolutely no way they were going to trade him. If the offer is right, teams can change their minds quickly.

The trade would obviously send shock waves through the NBA. The Celtics would add a piece that is, quite frankly, almost perfect for what they need. Griffin could slide right into the four spot alongside Al Horford, which would give Boston two extremely versatile bigs capable of posting up, shooting and handling the ball with proficiency. Griffin would also improve the Celtics’ putrid defensive rebounding (second to last in the NBA), and add a much-needed second scorer to take the pressure off of Isaiah Thomas.

A huge move like this is exactly what Celtics fans want, and would give them a real possibility of beating the Cavs and advancing to the NBA Finals.

For the Clippers it would officially mark the end of Lob City (though not many lobs are being thrown these days), but the reported package of Crowder, Bradley/Smart and picks would leave them with a competitive team while they decide what to do with Chris Paul. It’s just a matter of whether the Clippers are ready to wave the white flag on Griffin, Paul and DeAndre Jordan as a championship core. They might be hoping everyone gets fully healthy to give it one more shot this season.

Sure the trade is unlikely, but with the Bulls reportedly saying they’re not trading Jimmy Butler, a Blake Griffin trade might have gotten a lot more interesting for the Celtics.