NBA Trade Rumors: Los Angeles Clippers Want Kevin Durant To Replace Blake Griffin

NBA trade rumors are suggesting that the Los Angeles Clippers would not hesitate if they had an opportunity to replace Blake Griffin with Kevin Durant in their starting lineup, according to Lakers Nation.

Unless one has been hiding underneath a rock for the past three years, every NBA fan should already know that Kevin Durant has been involved in trade rumors and free agency rumors because many are under the impression that he wants to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder. The belief is that the former Texas Longhorns star wants to be in a bigger market so that he can capitalize on his marketing and advertising potential.

Los Angeles is definitely a big market. For years, the Los Angeles Lakers were linked to every rumored free agent or trade candidate known to mankind. Despite having some talented young players, such as Jordan Clarkson, D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle, on their roster, the near future looks bleak for the team. Their chances of winning an NBA Championship in the next few years are very slim. Kevin Durant wants to be a champion. Even if Kobe Bryant decides to forego retirement for another year, the Lakers don’t appear to have much of a chance to acquire Durant.

That doesn’t mean that Kevin Durant doesn’t end up in southern California, though. There are reports that state that the Los Angeles Clippers would love to make a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder to acquire the 27 year old forward. While a lot of NBA teams don’t have the assets required to trade for such a superstar, the Clippers are more than willing to dangle Blake Griffin.

It’s not that the Los Angeles Clippers don’t feel that Blake Griffin is a talented player. He’s one of the most gifted ones in the NBA. It’s just that head coach Doc Rivers and his staff are tired of dealing with him, especially after he injured his hand while punching one of the team trainers. That sort of distraction is not good for the team’s goal of winning the championship.

There’s also a concern about how Blake Griffin fits in with Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan, one of the best pick and roll tandems in the NBA. The team has noticed that their offense is much more efficient when Griffin is replaced by an outside shooting forward in the starting lineup.

Kevin Durant happens to be an excellent outside shooter. NBA defenses wouldn’t dare leave him alone outside, so that means that Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan would have more open lanes for their bread and butter play. On the flip side, if you were to put Durant on the weak side of the floor, then there would be fewer defenders because opponents want to make sure that Paul and Jordan are accounted for.

The acquisition of Blake Griffin might be very appealing to the Oklahoma City Thunder, especially if they are concerned about getting nothing for Kevin Durant if he leaves via free agency, something that is definitely a high probability at this moment. The Thunder would be receiving star power from a former Oklahoma Sooners star. Griffin might be more appealing to the local fan base than Durant, who played his college basketball in the state of Texas.

Blake Griffin knows what it is like to play with a dynamic guard, so he should have no problem forming some chemistry with Russell Westbrook. Since Westbrook loves to dish out the assists, especially since defenders leave his teammates wide open, that could be quite the boon for Griffin.

Kevin Durant for Blake Griffin could be beneficial to both the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers.

[Featured Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images]