Sporting News: C's targeting Griffin, will make major deal soon

[Eddie20]

LAS VEGAS — The Celtics are up to something. Talk to any front-office executive here at the annual Summer League festivities, and the consensus is that a major deal involving Boston is coming soon.

But it might not be the deal most were expecting. While speculation has held that the Celtics would pursue Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook after Kevin Durant left the team to join the Warriors, sources told Sporting News that Westbrook’s representatives have been given no word of a potential deal. Westbrook can become a free agent after the season, so it would be part of the due diligence of the Celtics to find out if he’d be willing to consider staying in Boston long-term.


That does not necessarily rule out a trade of Westbrook to Boston. But it makes it unlikely, at least until that contact is made, that the Celtics are now targeting him. The team has viewed this as a crucial summer, so their activity is expected. The Celtics are stocked with young players, have a raft of future picks available and have already signed big man Al Horford in free agency, as they hope to push closer to the Raptors and Cavaliers in the East.



The likely target for the Celtics, according to front-office sources, is Clippers forward Blake Griffin. The Clippers have been weighing trading Griffin all season, and the possibility of a three-team package involving Sacramento sending Rudy Gay to the Clippers has emerged.  The Celtics would give up some number of their upcoming draft picks, but opposing front-office members say they don't want to give up either Brooklyn pick Boston can own in the next two years.

The Clippers have 31-year-old point guard Chris Paul on hand, and league sources have said that if the Clippers move Griffin — a move that Clippers coach and front-office head Doc Rivers is reluctant to make — they will want a deal that involves draft picks and a frontline star who can keep them in Western Conference contention.

The other bit of speculation on the Celtics front is Kevin Love. While several front-office types brought up Love as a Celtics target, none believed that Love would possibly come available in the wake of the Cavs’ championship. Cleveland winning the title has greatly reduced the Kevin Love rumor-mill.

The Celtics have already made a splash this summer with Horford. But clearly, they’re not quite done yet.

A quick follow-up-

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@SeanDeveney  ·
Sources told SN the @celtics, in position for a major deal, haven't reached out to Russell Westbrook's people yet.

[The One]

Interesting...is it crazy to say that I prefer Griffin to Westbrook because of stability?   

[Snakehead]

Interesting...is it crazy to say that I prefer Griffin to Westbrook because of stability?   

No it's not.

I think Griffin is a way better fit for our system.  Westbrook plays at a high pace but is ineffecient doing it and dominates the ball.  Griffin would be great, getting to handle the ball more and operating in space with pick and roll.  He would be great next to Horford.

[A Future of Stevens]

Look, as has been hashed out on this board, if you can get griffin without giving up a nets pick you have to do it. If he is open to playing here, and being a Celtics player long term, you do what it takes. Imagine retaining Griffin while keeping both of the upcoming nets picks? Good god lol.

[walker834]

I think it could lead to us getting both.  I would hold off Westbrook if we can get Griffin for Crowder and picks though.  Makes sense westbrook would come next but dependant on how much we want to give up?

Not sure Griffin gets us a championship by himself. If the celtcs are going to go for it then really go for it.

There would have to be some deal in place where we can get westbrook and get him to sign an extension here.

Getting both while not giving up much in assets minus picks and roleplayers would be amazing. I tend to think either Smart or Isaiah will go in the westbrook deal though.

[WolfofCausewayStreet]

Hopefully it's for Smart, Amir, Memphis pick

[Eddie20]

Interesting...is it crazy to say that I prefer Griffin to Westbrook because of stability?   

No it's not.

I think Griffin is a way better fit for our system.  Westbrook plays at a high pace but is ineffecient doing it and dominates the ball.  Griffin would be great, getting to handle the ball more and operating in space with pick and roll.  He would be great next to Horford.

Big men and scoring PG's that are really good in PNR have seemed to be the Warriors kryptonite the last 2 seasons. Even more so now that they've lost Bogut and Ezeli, which are better defenders than Zaza and West. That said, having a combo of Griffin & Hoford, along with a scoring PG like Thomas, to go with a strong group of perimeter defenders (assuming we keep at least 2 of Crowder, Smart, Bradley, Rozier) will give us a nice recipe to take out the Warriors.

[hpantazo]

This makes much more sense and is from more reputable sources. The Celtics haven't reached out to Westbrooks reps yet I totally believe. He's not a good fit for this team. Griffin however is. Doc is going to have a hard time moving any all-star vet though, but he has to eventually accept his teams situation.

[Rhyso]

These 'front office sources' have an agenda, maybe to shake another contending teams fragile locker room like the Clippers, or increase the value of picks/players. Whatever the case... there is no way is Doc and the Clippers trade Blake Griffin to us IMO. Doc said they are running it back, Horford doesn't want to play Center, and the Clippers want to win now. Danny is just poking around looking for value.

[Snakehead]

Horford doesn't want to play Center

He said he will play center and can play 4 or 5.  Do you want to put money on him playing center for us mostly?  He is going to be playing center.  He just came from a team where he was playing center.

[action781]

I don't believe this rumor or any other rumor.  Because they are all just rumors, more inaccurate than high school rumors even, and 99.9% of them never end up happening.

[TwinTower14]

So Dan from the Sports Hub was right. He nailed Jaylen Brown, Horford, KD and ahead of the curve on Griffin.  Too funny....

[Rhyso]

Horford doesn't want to play Center

He said he will play center and can play 4 or 5.  Do you want to put money on him playing center for us mostly?  He is going to be playing center.  He just came from a team where he was playing center.

I think Amir plays 24ish mins at Center, and yes Horford probably takes the rest. From what I had heard from live game commentators and various sources the last few years, he wanted to go back to being a primary 4, but if he said he doesn't mind then great!

[saltlover]

It's really hard for me to see this deal occurring.  Griffin has such a high salary, it takes a lot of outgoing salary to match.  Meanwhile, Gay as an outgoing piece for Sacramento doesn't make enough for all of the salary to go back that direction from Boston.

Still, it could be a cheaper alternative, because Doc doesn't like draft picks and prospects, and Gay can't have nearly the acquisition cost of some players, so Sacramento shouldn't need as much in return.  But then again, I can't remember the last time a rumored trade occurred remotely resembling the original rumors, especially one that had been rumored for several days.  Dwight to LA a few years ago sounded like it would happen, but not as a huge four-team deal.

[gift]

The fact that they are starting to outright say expect a deal to be done soon or "by the weekend" makes me think the rumors are true. It's not just the vague mystery stuff anymore. Not that everything we are hearing is true. But something is up.