Does Westbrook's extension change Doc's thinking about trading Griffin?

[Moranis]

I'm sure they'll pursue Griffin.  Maybe they'll be successful, although they will have to figure out some cap magic to have the room for him.

But the key thing is that the entire point of Ainge trading for Griffin, if you believe that there was ever anything to the story, was with the cap room to extend Griffin, so that he doesn't leave as a free agent.  Ainge isn't going to open his piggy bank for someone he thinks might leave.

At the same time, Doc has a very competitive team, and he's not trading Griffin for peanuts.  So there is still no agreement coming any time soon.  It's far better for the Clippers to keep making a run at it with this year's team, and figure out Griffin next year, than it is to trade him.  Doesn't matter if they lose him for nothing.

Now, if the Clippers are somehow around .500 in February, maybe things change.  But before the season, it would be stupid for Doc to trade Griffin for anything less than a great package in return.  And since there's no commitment Griffin will stay, it would be similarly stupid to offer a ton.

Just not happening, for like the 10000th time.

Why do you think OKC would need to do some cap magic? I see them having a lot of cap space next season.

Or are you talking in the context from a trade + extend angle?

I'm assuming that they're not going to just let Oladipo and Adams walk, and thus they have cap holds of a combined $21 million.  Maybe that's an aggressive assumption, and they would let one or both go (not to mention Andre Roberson, who has a $5.5 million cap hold himself), but Presti would have a tough time letting the first two walk.  It wouldn't surprise me if either were extended this fall.

I'll have to do the math, will do so later when I get time. I'll take your word for it though.

Assuming they pick up Cameron Payne's option, and decline McGary and Huestis, they're at $61.5 million with 6 players under contract.  Add in both of Oladipo and Adams, and they're up to $82.5 million, which isn't nearly enough room.  If they let Oladipo walk, they'd have about a million to spare taking into account minimum roster holds.  It also means they probably would have to dump their first round pick as well, and hope that any CBA negotiation didn't raise the minimum player salaries by anything significant, as doing so could eat up their cap room with the non-roster holds.

I'm not saying they can't get Griffin.  But it is a trickier assumption that it looks on the surface if you go by straight maximum cap room, because it's incredibly unlikely they let Adams walk, and rather unlikely they let Oladipo walk.

Yeah, much tighter than a quick glance would've suggested.

I'd assume they would dump Kanter if Griffin was a real possibility.  Big contract and the odd man out.

Dumping players who make $18 million is not a simple proposition.  Also, Kanter has been their 6th man -- I wouldn't think his role would change with Griffin.  Not to mention he's really endeared himself to fans and teammates in trolling KD on Twitter.

It won't be difficult to find a team that wants Kanter.  They could even get someone back as long as they were cheaper.  He is the easiest guy to move to create cap room to sign Griffin.  If it is Griffin or Kanter, that is an easy choice. 

And popular players get moved all the time.  Anderson Varejao was an incredibly popular player in Cleveland, didn't stop the team from moving him for Channing Frye who was a better fit. 

[saltlover]

I'm sure they'll pursue Griffin.  Maybe they'll be successful, although they will have to figure out some cap magic to have the room for him.

But the key thing is that the entire point of Ainge trading for Griffin, if you believe that there was ever anything to the story, was with the cap room to extend Griffin, so that he doesn't leave as a free agent.  Ainge isn't going to open his piggy bank for someone he thinks might leave.

At the same time, Doc has a very competitive team, and he's not trading Griffin for peanuts.  So there is still no agreement coming any time soon.  It's far better for the Clippers to keep making a run at it with this year's team, and figure out Griffin next year, than it is to trade him.  Doesn't matter if they lose him for nothing.

Now, if the Clippers are somehow around .500 in February, maybe things change.  But before the season, it would be stupid for Doc to trade Griffin for anything less than a great package in return.  And since there's no commitment Griffin will stay, it would be similarly stupid to offer a ton.

Just not happening, for like the 10000th time.

Why do you think OKC would need to do some cap magic? I see them having a lot of cap space next season.

Or are you talking in the context from a trade + extend angle?

I'm assuming that they're not going to just let Oladipo and Adams walk, and thus they have cap holds of a combined $21 million.  Maybe that's an aggressive assumption, and they would let one or both go (not to mention Andre Roberson, who has a $5.5 million cap hold himself), but Presti would have a tough time letting the first two walk.  It wouldn't surprise me if either were extended this fall.

I'll have to do the math, will do so later when I get time. I'll take your word for it though.

Assuming they pick up Cameron Payne's option, and decline McGary and Huestis, they're at $61.5 million with 6 players under contract.  Add in both of Oladipo and Adams, and they're up to $82.5 million, which isn't nearly enough room.  If they let Oladipo walk, they'd have about a million to spare taking into account minimum roster holds.  It also means they probably would have to dump their first round pick as well, and hope that any CBA negotiation didn't raise the minimum player salaries by anything significant, as doing so could eat up their cap room with the non-roster holds.

I'm not saying they can't get Griffin.  But it is a trickier assumption that it looks on the surface if you go by straight maximum cap room, because it's incredibly unlikely they let Adams walk, and rather unlikely they let Oladipo walk.

Yeah, much tighter than a quick glance would've suggested.

I'd assume they would dump Kanter if Griffin was a real possibility.  Big contract and the odd man out.

Dumping players who make $18 million is not a simple proposition.  Also, Kanter has been their 6th man -- I wouldn't think his role would change with Griffin.  Not to mention he's really endeared himself to fans and teammates in trolling KD on Twitter.

It won't be difficult to find a team that wants Kanter.  They could even get someone back as long as they were cheaper.  He is the easiest guy to move to create cap room to sign Griffin.  If it is Griffin or Kanter, that is an easy choice. 

And popular players get moved all the time.  Anderson Varejao was an incredibly popular player in Cleveland, didn't stop the team from moving him for Channing Frye who was a better fit.

We can come back to this in 11 months.  I guarantee Kanter will not be moved to clear salary for Griffin.  I'd be somewhat surprised if Griffin wound up in OKC, but shocked if Kanter was cleared out in the process.

[Moranis]

I'm sure they'll pursue Griffin.  Maybe they'll be successful, although they will have to figure out some cap magic to have the room for him.

But the key thing is that the entire point of Ainge trading for Griffin, if you believe that there was ever anything to the story, was with the cap room to extend Griffin, so that he doesn't leave as a free agent.  Ainge isn't going to open his piggy bank for someone he thinks might leave.

At the same time, Doc has a very competitive team, and he's not trading Griffin for peanuts.  So there is still no agreement coming any time soon.  It's far better for the Clippers to keep making a run at it with this year's team, and figure out Griffin next year, than it is to trade him.  Doesn't matter if they lose him for nothing.

Now, if the Clippers are somehow around .500 in February, maybe things change.  But before the season, it would be stupid for Doc to trade Griffin for anything less than a great package in return.  And since there's no commitment Griffin will stay, it would be similarly stupid to offer a ton.

Just not happening, for like the 10000th time.

Why do you think OKC would need to do some cap magic? I see them having a lot of cap space next season.

Or are you talking in the context from a trade + extend angle?

I'm assuming that they're not going to just let Oladipo and Adams walk, and thus they have cap holds of a combined $21 million.  Maybe that's an aggressive assumption, and they would let one or both go (not to mention Andre Roberson, who has a $5.5 million cap hold himself), but Presti would have a tough time letting the first two walk.  It wouldn't surprise me if either were extended this fall.

I'll have to do the math, will do so later when I get time. I'll take your word for it though.

Assuming they pick up Cameron Payne's option, and decline McGary and Huestis, they're at $61.5 million with 6 players under contract.  Add in both of Oladipo and Adams, and they're up to $82.5 million, which isn't nearly enough room.  If they let Oladipo walk, they'd have about a million to spare taking into account minimum roster holds.  It also means they probably would have to dump their first round pick as well, and hope that any CBA negotiation didn't raise the minimum player salaries by anything significant, as doing so could eat up their cap room with the non-roster holds.

I'm not saying they can't get Griffin.  But it is a trickier assumption that it looks on the surface if you go by straight maximum cap room, because it's incredibly unlikely they let Adams walk, and rather unlikely they let Oladipo walk.

Yeah, much tighter than a quick glance would've suggested.

I'd assume they would dump Kanter if Griffin was a real possibility.  Big contract and the odd man out.

Dumping players who make $18 million is not a simple proposition.  Also, Kanter has been their 6th man -- I wouldn't think his role would change with Griffin.  Not to mention he's really endeared himself to fans and teammates in trolling KD on Twitter.

It won't be difficult to find a team that wants Kanter.  They could even get someone back as long as they were cheaper.  He is the easiest guy to move to create cap room to sign Griffin.  If it is Griffin or Kanter, that is an easy choice. 

And popular players get moved all the time.  Anderson Varejao was an incredibly popular player in Cleveland, didn't stop the team from moving him for Channing Frye who was a better fit.

We can come back to this in 11 months.  I guarantee Kanter will not be moved to clear salary for Griffin.  I'd be somewhat surprised if Griffin wound up in OKC, but shocked if Kanter was cleared out in the process.

I don't think Griffin is going to OKC either, which makes it moot point, only that Kanter is the easiest guy to move to create cap room to sign Griffin (assuming they need to move anyone, which I'm not convinced they would need to do). 

[greece66]

If I were Griffin, I would run for my life once my contract with LAC expires.

He is a bad fit for Doc's rigid systems.

[greece66]

If I were Griffin, I would run for my life once my contract with LAC expires.

He is a bad fit for Doc's rigid systems.

[saltlover]

If I were Griffin, I would run for my life once my contract with LAC expires.

He is a bad fit for Doc's rigid systems.

You can say that again!

[mctyson]

RealGM had a wiretap this morning (couldn't paste) saying Thunder will pursue Griffin in free agency. Not surprising now that Westbrook is extended, and Griffin is from Oklahoma.

The Westbrook extension might change Doc's thinking on trading Griffin now--if he thinks he can't re-sign him.  I don't know if this helps Ainge, since Doc might wind up trading him to OKC. Would Ainge risk trading for him without an extension?

Doc has a dilemma, if you add Paul's free agency to the mix. Possible domino effect here, which could leave Doc high and dry.

No. Westbrook's extension makes him much more valuable in a trade now.  That's it.