"The Deal is dead, dead, dead" -- Clippers moving on?

Brad Turner, the Clippers beat reporter for the LA Times and one of the most plugged in reporters there is on the team, tweeted moments ago that the mega-deal between the Clippers and the Celtics is "dead, dead, dead."

Which means that it's still alive provided the Celtics agree to the trade the Clippers have on the table.

The Clippers have called off the deal with the Celtics. Clippers executive said Celtics asking for too much, the Times told today.

— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) June 18, 2013

Yes, folks, the deal is "dead, dead, dead." No Doc, KG to Clippers

— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) June 18, 2013

The reason the Clippers have done as well as they have in getting Boston to back off from demands such as getting Eric Bledsoe in the deal or having the Clippers take back a bad contract is because they've treated the deal all along as something they don't need. They have other options they like to coach the team, they can trade their resources for other players.

So on a couple of occasions they've walked away saying "Thanks but no thanks." The problem is, you have to mean it. It's a great bargaining tactic if you mean it. But meaning it may eventually entail passing on the deal. The ball is in the Celtics court; we'll see if the deal is really "dead, dead, dead." It will be dead when the Clippers hire another coach, and with Shaw coming in tomorrow, there's at least another day.