Will Clippers’ Failure To Go All In On Rivers, Kevin Garnett Cost LA Chris Paul?
The Los Angeles Clippers, much to the surprise of absolutely no one, don’t like spending money when they don’t have to. That’s what we learned, or rather re-affirmed, when Donald Sterling and Co. backed out of a potential deal with the Boston Celtics after balking at the cost.
It’s a bit of backtracking that will ultimately cost the franchise Chris Paul. And when CP3 goes, so too does any hope of winning a championship in the near future.
The potential deal on the table centered around Kevin Garnett, Doc Rivers, DeAndre Jordan and some draft picks. L.A. was looking to add the legendary power forward and upgrade at head coach while giving up an overpaid center and a few draft picks that weren’t likely to even be in the lottery.
That sounds like a great deal, right? Well, it was for the Clippers.
But according to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, the money was just too much for the Clippers.
Sorry, let me control myself after my fit of laughter here.
The Clippers are seriously backing out of this deal because of a pick that will probably be in the 20s and around $38 million? They’re doing that despite the millions and millions of dollars they’d make by easily asserting themselves as the premier team in Los Angeles?
The endorsement deals would come flowing in as this team took yet another step forward. Now they’re poised to take a massive leap backward. Blake Griffin’s highlights are fun, but there won’t be as many without Chris Paul throwing him lobs.
There won’t be as many wins either, because CP3 is as good as gone unless these negotiations start back up in the near future.
For the Clippers, this offseason was supposed to be about doing whatever it takes to keep the league’s premier point guard. Vinny Del Negro was let go, in large part to appease CP3, and the rest of the moves were originally intended to do the same.
Welp. So much for that.
Now the main story has become Sterling’s penny-pinching habits, and the Clippers have seemingly reverted to their old, inept ways.
I’m pretty sure that somewhere out there, Danny Ferry, Daryl Morey and Mark Cuban are all sitting around with massive ear-to-ear grins on their faces while popping Champagne even though it wasn’t five o’clock yet when the news was announced.
Their pursuits of CP3—and possibly Dwight Howard—just got significantly easier.
Paul is a pathologically competitive basketball player. He wants to win at all costs, perhaps more so than any other player in the NBA. That’s why it was so important for the Clippers to show that they were completely committed to playing winning basketball.
So far, they’ve completely failed to do that. When you’re committed to winning, you don’t balk at the price tag of an elite head coach and a power forward/center who can immediately aid your cause. The only reason you let up is when the CBA prevents you from spending more.
Keeping DeAndre Jordan is not going to suddenly convince Paul that the organization will do what it takes. Not unless Jordan suddenly stops being a defensive liability and a player who can’t be counted on in late-game situations because of his atrocious shooting from the charity stripe.
Paul is still saddled with almost completely carrying the Clippers if he chooses to return. After Blake Griffin disappeared down the stretch and no-showed the playoffs, CP3 isn’t exactly working with a Big Two, much less a Big Three like he could elsewhere.
The Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks all give him better opportunities in the immediate future.
In Houston, he could join forces with James Harden and Chandler Parsons while playing under a general manager who has proven that he will literally do whatever it takes to land stars. In Atlanta, he’d be the building block that Ferry shapes the team around, and he’d have an excellent shot to play alongside Howard. In Dallas, he and Dirk Nowitzki would form a stellar duo and, once more, he’d have a front-office member who’s willing to do anything and everything necessary to win.
All three of those organizations stand in stark contrast to the Clippers. For what seems like the bajillionth time, the organization has proven to be too cheap to promote a winning culture.
Unless talks between the Clippers and Celtics re-open, Sterling may as well start writing his goodbye note to CP3.
Just don’t expect him to use any sort of expensive stationary; the back of a napkin will do just fine.
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Report: Rivers, Garnett trade to Clippers “close to being done”
The Celtics and Clippers are reportedly close to finalizing a deal that would send forward Kevin Garnett and head coach Doc Rivers to Los Angeles, according to LA Times reporter Brad Turner.
With the Celtics’ moving past their desire to acquire point guard Eric Bledsoe as a part of the deal, the Clippers would likely send DeAndre Jordan, Caron Butler and his , and a first-round pick to Boston in return.
Boston’s Jason Terry or Courtney Lee could also be shipped to LA as part of the deal, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein. Both veteran guards have $5.2 million cap hits that, combined with KG’s $12.4 million salary, would match up well financially with the return package of Jordan ($11 million) and Butler ($8 million).
Butler’s contract expires after next season, meaning the Celtics would receive some financial relief in return instead of a talented young backcourt player in Bledsoe. With Paul Pierce likely headed elsewhere or retiring within the next few years, the Celtics will have a l…
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Doc Rivers-Kevin Garnett Proposed Trade Could Bring Danny Ainge Pieces for Future Celtics Championship
I couldn’t believe it. The Celtics, who had the second-worst record in the league after the 2006-07 season, were once again in position to either pick No. 1 or 2 in the draft. It’s like the basketball gods finally realized the error of their ways, when the C’s were in position to pick first in the 1997 draft and select Tim Duncan, only to settle for the No. 3 pick in the form of soon-to-be-traded Chauncey Billups.
So when the ping pong balls once again didn’t bounce the Celtics’ way in 2007 (the C’s won the fifth pick), the wheels were set in motion to pull the trigger on a deal that eventually brought Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett (thanks again Kevin McHale) to Boston for a mix of raw talent, expiring contracts and draft picks.
And so the second Big Three era was born.
This group was said to have a three year window to win the title. It was accomplished in Year 1. And if not for a knee injury the following season to Garnett and an ACL tear to Kendrick Perkins in Game 6 of the 2010 NB…
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Celtics stall talks on Doc Rivers-Kevin Garnett trade with Clippers
Danny Ainge is deciding on a Clippers offer, USA TODAY Sports has learned.
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Woj Reports: Boston Celtics, LA Clippers in ‘deep discussion’ regarding Rivers, Garnett
Earlier on Saturday, I wrote about my disdain of this entire Doc Rivers, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce to the LA Clippers gossip mill. CLNS columnist, Rich Conte, added his 2 cents shortly after. We both stated our hesitance to believe any such rumors regarding Doc, Danny and the crew. I’m not that easily swayed but now the ever reliable, Adrian Wojnarowski is in the mix and had this to say: The Boston Celtics are deep in discussions with the Los Angeles Clippers on a blockbuster deal to send coach Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett to Los Angeles, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. The final hurdle of a deal centers on the Clippers’ willingness to include guard Eric Bledsoe into a trade package with Boston, sources said. The Celtics would like to land Clippers point guard Eric Bledsoe. (USA Today Sports)Boston and Los Angeles are discussing a package that will send DeAndre Jordan and two first-round picks to the Celtics for Garnett and the right to hire Rivers as coach, sources said…
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Kevin Garnett Trade Rumors: Clippers Reportedly Eying Deal for Celtics Star
After six straight seasons of making the playoffs in the Doc Rivers, “Big Three” era that included an NBA title in 2008, it finally looks like rebuilding time for the Boston Celtics.
And it might start with a trade that’s already been floated around in the 2013 calendar year.
According to an ESPN report from Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne, the Los Angeles Clippers are eying two separate deals that would shake up the framework of the NBA, and one of those deals would be bringing Kevin Garnett and Doc Rivers to Los Angeles in exchange for a package that centers around DeAndre Jordan, cash and draft picks.
The other is a sign-and-trade deal for cross-locker room rival Dwight Howard, in which Blake Griffin and Eric Bledsoe would join the Lakers next year.
Here’s an excerpt from the report:
The initial talks with Boston, sources said Saturday, are focused on the Clippers satisfying Boston’s compensation demands to let Rivers out of his lucrative contract and corresponding trade proposals aimed at bringing Garnett to town with Rivers.
All of these potential transactions, sources say, are part of the Clippers’ intent, as reported Thursday by ESPN.com, to be “very aggressive” and “shake every tree” in an attempt to upgrade the roster to the point that Paul not only re-signs when he becomes a free agent on July 1 but that they are an unquestioned championship contender.
The two sides were linked with a potential move of the same nature back in February, when Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald reported that CP3 was pushing Garnett to waive his no-trade clause and join the Clips.
That deal never came together, but it looks to have legs this time around.
The Clippers finished fourth in the Western Conference in the 2012-13 regular season before losing in the first round of the NBA playoffs to the Memphis Grizzlies. With Chris Paul entering free agency and the head coaching position still vacant after the team fired Vinny Del Negro, via the Los Angeles Times, there’s changes still to be settled this offseason.
Changes are brewing in Boston, too.
ESPN’s Chris Broussard reported on Wednesday, Rivers was mulling over whether or not his future would continue in Boston far before the details of this new development emerged.
The Clippers were an automatic candidate for Rivers to move to once that rumor hit airwaves, and this one from The Boston Globe also linked Rivers, the heart and soul of his defense and the Clippers together in a potential move:
If any such West Coast move for the duo of Rivers and Garnett was to become final, the C’s would also likely use their one-time amnesty provision on Paul Pierce, a move that would save over $15 million in cap space heading into free agency.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld conjectured as much on Twitter:
There’s a lot of moving parts and contingency plans for both sides in the scenarios mentioned above, but one thing is for certain—Boston’s “Big Three” era could be coming to a close in the next few days.
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Celtics Rumors: Boston Trying to Trade Kevin Garnett, Doc Rivers to Clippers
The 2013 NBA offseason is shaping up to be one of extraordinary measures, as stars are becoming free agents and the draft is looming. Surprisingly, two teams are taking the league by storm before free agency can commence, as the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers are taking over the rumor mill.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Celtics and Clippers are in talks for a trade that is built around 37-year-old center Kevin Garnett and head coach Doc Rivers.
The key to this deal is the Clippers’ willingness to include point guard Eric Bledsoe, who is viewed as L.A.’s safety blanket in case Chris Paul signs elsewhere. That reality has become surprisingly real, as Paul and Dwight Howard are rumored to be interested in signing somewhere together.
The exact terms of the deal are reported to include Bledsoe, DeAndre Jordan and two first-round draft choices in exchange for Garnett and Rivers.
Boston and Los Angeles are discussing a package that will send [Eric Bledsoe], DeAndre Jordan and two first-round picks to the Celtics for Garnett and the right to hire Rivers as coach, sources said.
Garnett will waive his no-trade clause to go to the Clippers, where he’ll be reunited with Rivers and likely Celtics assistant Ty Lue, sources told Yahoo! Sports.
This deal is on the horizon.
Known for being frugal, Clippers owner Donald Sterling is reportedly prepared to pay Rivers somewhere close to $7 million. Rivers currently has three years and $21 million remaining on his deal with the Celtics.
As for what this means for CP3′s future, Wojnarowski reports that Rivers will speak with Paul about his potential decision to re-sign.
Last night, Marc Stein of ESPN reported that Rivers, Garnett and Paul Pierce are all hoping to relocate to Los Angeles. While this latest report leaves Pierce as the odd man out, the potential for a deal including L.A. and Boston is alive and real.
For what it’s worth, both sides attempted to get a similar deal done at the 2013 NBA trade deadline.
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Would Kevin Garnett Return to Boston Celtics Without Paul Pierce?
Kevin Garnett has a decision to make, and that decision will likely determine in which direction the Boston Celtics choose to go this summer. Will he return for another year, or will he retire?
Surprisingly, it seems as if Garnett’s eventual announcement will be the first domino to fall for the Celtics. If KG wants to come back for another season, then Boston will probably opt to bring the team back for another run.
If not, general manager Danny Ainge will almost certainly begin the rebuilding process.
You would think that the Celtics’ decision on Paul Pierce would be the main factor in the path Ainge selects, as Pierce’s $15 million salary for 2013-14 becomes guaranteed on July 1. If the Celtics waive him prior to that date, they would only be on the hook for $5 million. They could also trade him, in which case his contract would no longer be their problem.
But, based on a report from Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, the C’s are waiting on Garnett’s word before they do anything. Doc Rivers is undecided on his future, too, but logic dictates that he is more than likely holding off until he knows what is going on with KG.
All of this leads me to believe that, as coy as Ainge has been about everything, the Celtics are willing to take another shot with this core group as long as Garnett wants to do the same. So, if KG says he is returning, chances are you will see Boston hang on to Pierce and then try to bolster the roster through trades and free agency.
Judging from the fact that the departure of the two veterans would only open up a small amount of cap space, that may be the best way to go.
It makes sense, too, as it is hard to envision Garnett wanting to come back without Pierce in tow.
What some don’t realize is that KG and Pierce have a history that dates long before their days as C’s teammates. They have been friends since they were 13 years old, and Garnett has acknowledged that Pierce was one of the main reasons why he accepted the trade to the Celtics during the summer of 2007.
Throughout the six years that KG has been in Boston, Pierce has been right there with him. They have won a championship and have been to two NBA Finals together. They have experienced it all, and at 37 years of age, it doesn’t seem likely that Garnett would choose to return to the C’s if Pierce isn’t part of the package.
Why would he? Better yet, why should he?
KG has already accomplished everything a professional basketball player could dream of, winning a title, collecting Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year awards, making countless All-NBA teams and being elected to 15 All-Star games. Other than achieving some statistical milestones, what’s left?
Given the fact that he was hobbled during the 2013 playoffs, playing with a hip pointer and bone spurs in both ankles, it seems fairly safe to conclude that Garnett will not be taking the floor for what would be his 18th season unless he knows he has a shot at another ring. In order for that opportunity to present itself, Pierce will probably have to be in green come the fall.
Of course, KG could always just tell the Celtics to trade him to a contender if Ainge pulls the plug on Pierce, but do you really think that is going to happen? It’s hard to imagine Garnett finishing his career anywhere else. After all, if that were even an option in his mind, don’t you think he would have announced that he is returning already?
The future Hall of Famer has two years and about $24 million remaining on his deal. That’s a lot of money to leave on the table. Based on that, if KG had any intention of potentially changing addresses, it probably wouldn’t be taking him this long to make a decision. It’s either Boston or retirement.
Garnett’s contract may as well have a clause that states the pact is only valid if Pierce’s presence is guaranteed. He and The Truth are like brothers.
Consider this.
KG is the same age as Tim Duncan, whose San Antonio Spurs are currently engaged in a finals battle with the Miami Heat. Manu Ginobili, a part of the Spurs’ own Big Three, is 35, the same age as Pierce. Then you have Tony Parker, four years older than Rajon Rondo.
Garnett is probably looking at San Antonio and thinking, “Why can’t that be us? If they can do it, we certainly can.”
And you know what? With the right moves in the offseason, the C’s probably can. Obviously, a whole lot of things would have to go “right” this summer for that to have a chance of occurring, but one has to assume that KG is watching the Spurs with that mindset.
That’s why Garnett is only going to come back if Pierce is in a Celtics uniform. San Antonio has given Boston hope, hope that, in KG’s mind, is only legitimate if The Truth’s leash is extended for another season.
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Kevin Garnett Cheating On Wife With A Toronto Woman
The NBA has taken a backseat in the mind of Boston Celtics star Kevin Garnett, as it’s being reported that Garnett was spotted at a Toronto shopping mall with a woman, who isn’t his wife. According to the report, Garnett, who is married with two kids, was spotted on Tuesday walking around a Toronto shopping mall with Annie Silvestri. According to a source, Silvestri works at Toronto’s Time Nightclub, where it’s being suspected that the two began to talk.The source claims that Silvestri is a aspiring model, but will sleep with men… if the price is right. Unknown rather Garnett and the woman hooked up or if it was just a friendly visit, but KG did shell out some money on his “lady friend” while at the mall. Garnett didn’t try to hide his face while walking through the mall thinking no one would recognize him. Garnett is married to Brandi Padilla and has two kids with her.
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Why David West Is a Better Fit Than Kevin Garnett for LA Clippers’ Future
As the Los Angeles Clippers mull over exactly what happened for them to earn a first-round exit from the playoffs this season, eyes begin to turn to the offseason and improvements that can be made. Most notably, rumors have swirled around David West and Kevin Garnett.
Where Garnett is concerned, there have been rumors about the Boston Celtics attempting a radical revamp since Rajon Rondo tore his ACL back in January.
One of the biggest thoughts was sending Garnett to Los Angeles for DeAndre Jordan and Eric Bledsoe. Either side dragged their feet and eventually nothing happened.
The latest rumor, according to NESN.com, is that the Celtics and Clippers are at least “talking about” a trade that would send Garnett, Paul Pierce, and even Doc Rivers, to the Clippers for Blake Griffin, Bledsoe, Jordan and Caron Butler.
It sound’s completely far-fetched, and it should since the notion is coming from Stephen A. Smith, but it’s rumor nonetheless.
However, it seems that the Clippers are more interested in picking up West, whose contract with the Indiana Pacers runs out this summer, per a recent article on Pro Basketball Talk.
The idea here is that West, a former teammate of Chris Paul, would not only serve as a formidable duo, but also convince Paul that Los Angeles is the place to be.
Paul leaving via free agency this summer could absolutely wreck the progress that the Clippers have made over the past few seasons and leave them wondering where to go next.
A deal bringing Garnett to the Clippers would improve them almost immediately (although I don’t think the elaborate move involving Pierce and Rivers would be the way to go here) and give Griffin a frontcourt running mate who not only exists as more of an intimidator than Jordan, but can also play crunch-time minutes, as he’s not completely useless from the free-throw line.
However, Garnett is a 37-year-old big man who has had troubles with his body for years now and is a threat to retire at any moment.
On the other hand, West is a 32-year-old floor-spacing forward who is not only a much-improved defender since his days in New Orleans, but has also proven to be a successful running mate to Paul.
In his days with Paul on the Hornets, they put together one of the most formidable pick-and-pop duos in the entire NBA.
He’s the type of player the Clippers’ offense dearly needs in order to open things up. Instead of big guys cramming the middle, a few shooters and Paul doing all the work, West would give them a consistent mid-range threat. Just check out his shot chart from this season:
In essence, West is exactly what the Clippers hoped Lamar Odom could revert to, only useful on defense and miles more effective.
Not only that, there are few players in the NBA who Paul has shown more affection for than West.
Back in 2011, a torn ACL ended West’s season. Paul’s reaction is a pretty big indicator of how much he enjoyed playing with the big dude (via NOLA.com).
Man, that’s my guy, that’s all I can say. We lost my brother; it’s been the hardest day ever. I was emotional in my post-game interview, but that’s my guy. Plain and simple.
I told him some people in your life that you meet, you have friends that are closer than family. He’s one of those guys for me. It may sound crazy, but I’m hurt just as bad as he is that he can’t play.
Here you’ve got a defensively sound big man who not only completes the Clippers offense, but has a proven history with Chris Paul. What more could the team ask for?
Of course, the only problem here is actually getting West onto the Clippers.
Actually convincing West that Los Angeles would be a better place for him than Indiana would be the hardest part. Many times he’s expressed how much he enjoys the team and the group of guys he’s playing with, including this quote from NOLA.com:
This is the most together group that I’ve been a part of. We don’t have any egos. We don’t have a bunch of `I’ guys. We have guys who are intent on doing whatever we have to do to go out and win the game.
Apart from prying the big man away from the Midwest, there’s the little issue of paying the guy.
After re-signing Paul (which is obviously the only reason West would consider going out to L.A.), Los Angeles is going to be over the salary cap (which will be around $58 million), but under the luxury tax line (which should be just north of $70 million).
That means Los Angeles will have nothing more than the $5 million mid-level exception to offer West, who made $10 million this season.
Asking him to cut his pay in half to play for the Clippers is too much of a sacrifice for such a talented player—that is likely looking for their last big contract—to make.
That would mean a sign-and-trade would be in order for Los Angeles.
It’s hard to imagine the Pacers going in on a straight-up swap for Jordan, as they already have a defensively sound center that struggles to consistently produce on offense.
However, bringing another team into the mix and giving up Eric Bledsoe as well would likely be plenty to get the Pacers interested.
There’s a lot of work left to be done with this Clippers squad in order to make Chris Paul happy, but there are plenty of options out there.
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