Baron Davis and Blake Griffin Rumors in the Fort Worth Star Telegram

I've moved citizen Qlippers' FanPost to the FanShots.

"I guess with the Clippers, everyone expects us to dump salary. I don't see the clippers trading the #1 pick to OKC or trading BDavis anywhere.

I guess it's just fun for Beat writers to write up different scenarios for their respective teams. "

over 2 years ago Steve Perrin 24 comments 0 recs |

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Not showing up

Didn’t make it to the fanshots. I read the article—which was very annoying—but what did Qlippers have to say, and I think there were some comments on it too.

by citizen zhiv on May 21, 2009 11:58 AM PDT reply actions

Sorry I was unclear on that. It was in the wrong place – clearly a FanShot and not a FanPost. I’m trying to crack down on this stuff – we can’t be cutting an pasting other people’s work. So yes, we lost a few comments.

In this world, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant. Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. - Elwood P. Dowd

by Steve Perrin on May 21, 2009 12:05 PM PDT up reply actions

Got it

I forget that the blue thingees are sometimes fan shots. And you’re obviously right about the cutting-and-pasting arguments.

“Credit” for somebody else’s work doesn’t really apply here, fwiw, since the hack writer is wrong about pretty much everything. Kind of funny, how you were mentioning Olshey’s confirmation that the Clippers are making basketball decisions and that they aren’t dumping salary now. And one of the biggest misfires in this article is its statement that the Clippers were trying to dump salary last year. Evidence? Who needs stinking evidence? Not trading Camby, not trading Kaman, making the trade for Zbo… and the attempt to dump salary is where?

Also worth noting the rising chorus about how OKC will be chasing after the Clippers, trying to get them to give up Griffin. Interesting how here in Clipperdom we see the value of Griffin, and ask ourselves the question of whether the Clips would trade him for Durant (uh, sure, of course, but why would OKC do that?), while in the outside world the equation contains Westbrook or Jeff Green and the OKC pick for Griffin.

Do people think that the Clippers are stupid (yes), and that Clipper fans are stupid? The Clippers are in such great shape with Kaman-Camby (expiring deal)-Randolph and 60+ losses that they don’t really need Griffin?

Guess I’ll go and play with the trade machine to figure out how to trade Zach Randolph to OKC, just to feel better.

by citizen zhiv on May 21, 2009 12:18 PM PDT reply actions

LOL

I’m sure the Thunder want him.

I think they would entertain taking Griffin and Thornton for Durant beause KD is likely to leave when his contract is up, whereas Blake is the hometown guy.

If I were the Clippers, I would make that move. I may even consider Simmons Rudy Gay and the Grizzlies #2 for Griffin, but that’s about it.

F-Elton!

by mikey p on May 21, 2009 12:23 PM PDT up reply actions

Don't think Durant is goign anywhere

When his contract is up they can still match an offer made to him (correct?) and he’s stated he loves it there and wants to be there as long as he can. I know some players just say that but I don’t see Durant being one of that manipulative players. Besides he has a nice core surrounding him and they are getting better every year and are full with draft picks.

by dulciusEXasperis on May 21, 2009 12:30 PM PDT up reply actions

"[Durant has] stated he loves it there and wants to be there as long as he can."

Really? I thought Durant was quite pissed when the team was moved to Oklahoma City. I don’t think he loves OKC, and am sure he would love moving to a large market, even if the team happens to be the “2nd team” in the market. And Griffin is a hometown guy, people apparently love that stuff. So great. It’s a deal then, Durant for Griffin. I’d do that deal in a frekn second.

by Michael White on May 21, 2009 12:46 PM PDT up reply actions

I dont think so… Durant seems like a honest guy. and why wouldnt he want to be in OKC ? Id rather be there then in a half empty, outdated arena in Seattle that no one cared about until they left.

by andrewexd on May 21, 2009 2:06 PM PDT up reply actions

"Hopefully," he says, "I’ll spend my whole career here."

Again, he doesn’t seem like a guy who would say that and not mean it. If he didn’t want to be there he would just beat around the bush, not say he wants to the there his WHOLE career.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=jy-durantthunder012909&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

by dulciusEXasperis on May 21, 2009 6:18 PM PDT up reply actions

Durant isn't going to be traded

Let it go people. When’s the last time a team committed suicide by trading a star TWO YEARS before he can leave? That’s just absurd.

OKC needs all the support they can get. They’re not doing that by trading their best player.

by madglove on May 22, 2009 11:01 AM PDT up reply actions

Straight up

No reason to put Thornton in the deal: OKC already has Jeff Green to play the 3. The hometown piece with Griffin is intriguing, but they’re already selling every seat and have a rabid fan base. Durant is an established star in the making, and they’re on the rise with a nice complementary player in Westbrook. The trick is to solve the overlap between Durant and Green—Green is adequate as a PF, but he and Durant are two good versions of SF. And they need a center—hence the suspicion that they’ll draft Thabeet.

At any rate, my trade machine results send Zach Randolph to the Thunder for Earl Watson and Nick Collison. Watson would be happy to be his pal Baron’s backup, and his rather expensive deal expires next year. Collison is a hard worker, a good fill-in for Kaman-Camby-Griffin-DJordan if someone gets hurt.

One thing that you notice in a deal like this is that the Clippers might miss ZBo’s scoring. Have seen this mentioned elsewhere. Randolph and his scoring on the block and rebounding might make a nice contribution to OKC, and it’s just for two years.

Again, Kaman is the guy that could really contribute to other teams—and his complexity can become their problem, rather than ours.

Dealing Kaman would be fairly easy, it seems. The trick will be to get the best value for him.

by citizen zhiv on May 21, 2009 12:40 PM PDT up reply actions

Nice work

F-Elton!

by mikey p on May 21, 2009 12:45 PM PDT up reply actions

"One thing that you notice in a deal like this is that the Clippers might miss ZBo’s scoring"

Why yes we would. Hence, why we don’t want to just dump Zach (not that I’m suggesting you are arguing that, you have made it quite clear you are not.)

If its me, as I’ve said since before the draft lottery, deal Camby. Kaman is certainly a competent scorer when healthy, and good enough on D. Plus, in circumstances, you have Griffin and Kaman in the game when you need to pick up the defense. I still think Camby’s defense is quite overrated anyway.

by Michael White on May 21, 2009 12:51 PM PDT up reply actions

I think that you and Zbo should go to that restaurant in Topanga Canyon . . .

jk ;-)

by Jax on May 21, 2009 2:39 PM PDT up reply actions

My cousin owns an Italian place on Ventura and Topanga Canyon

in Woodland Hills. Called Giovanni. Not sure if you mean the same place.

F-Elton!

by mikey p on May 21, 2009 3:14 PM PDT up reply actions

would we get kicked out if we dropped your name?

Roger Sterling: I bet there were people in the Bible walking around, complaining about "kids today."
Don Draper: Kids today, they have no one to look up to. Cuz they're looking up to us.

by Lawler's Law on May 21, 2009 9:17 PM PDT up reply actions

FYI

It is the Fort Worth Star Telegram. Dallas only has the Morning News.

As for the content of the story, probably bunk. Don’t know if there have been talks betwen the teams. I did run the trade machine with Dallas yesterday (such a Clipper-nerd, I have too much time on my hands). I got us Stackhouse’s corpse and Matt Carroll for either Camby or Randolph. We can get Stack and a filler for Kaman.

Baron for Howard works straight up, but I think they want Kidd back. I don’t see much happening.

F-Elton!

by mikey p on May 21, 2009 12:19 PM PDT reply actions

In this case . . .

It’s the same thing. The Star-Telegram no longer covers the Mavs due to financial issues. Eddie Sefko is the beat writer for the Mavs at the Dallas Morning News.

RE:Content. It’s pretty much just filler for the slow period of NBA news. If you’re interested, I think it’s doubtful that the Mavs would trade much talent for any of those guys. Depending on the player, either Stack’s 7.5M expiring (but only 2M guaranteed), or Damp’s expiring would be the major trade bait. And yes, Kidd will probably be back.

by MavinClipsLand on May 23, 2009 10:13 PM PDT up reply actions

The only way I'd trade Griffin

Is for an established star or other can’t miss type player. Which obviously doesn’t make sense for the other team (which is why there isn’t going to be any trade).

Durant is a soph. They’re not trading him just because he might leave two years later. A lot can change in two years and every indication is that he loves his teammates. I can’t see Durant leaving. He went to school in Texas. It’s not like OKC is drastically foreign to him. This isn’t a big city kid forced to live and play in Minnesota.

The reality is that media and fans just want to act like the Clips are so dumb that they’ll give up Griffin for crap. Just because we’re the Clippers. No trade is happening. We’re picking Blake Griffin and it’ll be a new era of Clippers basketball.

by madglove on May 21, 2009 12:57 PM PDT reply actions

Sounds good to me

F-Elton!

by mikey p on May 21, 2009 1:01 PM PDT up reply actions

Me too!

by madglove on May 21, 2009 1:08 PM PDT up reply actions

well in two years hes a RFA so they could match any offer and if he gets better than he’ll probably get a near max deal.

by andrewexd on May 21, 2009 2:07 PM PDT up reply actions

Im ok with keeping griffin...

I am starting to get excited at the prospect of having a big guy who can finish above the rim and run the floor…but I think that the clippers and OKC would both have to consider a deal of Griffin, Thronton, and the minny pick for Kevin Durant. OKC would end up with a hometown hero in griffin, westbrook, thornton, and rubio/thabeet (plus the minny pick). With any possibiltiy that Durant might leave in a couple of seasons, thats definitely worth looking at.

The Clippers on the other hand would pair Durant with Gordon, Kaman, Baron, and ZBO. Thats one heck of a lineup, and Durant and Gordon playing together would keep the Clips competitive for a long time.

If we keep the griffin pick, as Im sure we will realistically, I would still love to see us engineer a trade for a wing player (Caron Butler, as Ive stated before, would be my ideal choice)

by johnnyoc21 on May 21, 2009 3:11 PM PDT up reply actions