NBA Rumors: Blake Griffin Traded To The Boston Celtics, Carmelo Anthony To LA
A massive NBA rumor is buzzing around the league as there are some rumblings that a huge three-way trade is about to go down before the trade deadline. The rumor involves Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks as well as Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers. If this is true, then there could be a huge power shift in the Eastern Conference.
According to NJ.com, a possible landing spot for Carmelo Anthony is the Los Angeles Clippers but it will involve the help of the Boston Celtics. The breakdown of the trade would be that the Clippers will get Carmelo Anthony and Avery Bradley while New York will get Amir Johnson, Jamal Crawford, and three first round picks. The Boston Celtics, on the other hand, will receive Blake Griffin and Paul Pierce.
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If this is possible, then all the teams involved will benefit from this trade. First, there is the Los Angeles Clippers who will get Carmelo Anthony and Avery Bradley. The Clippers need a huge lift as they are in danger of getting blown up by the front office. While Blake Griffin is having a fantastic year, it must be noted that Blake Griffin has cost the Clippers a lot of possible championships with unfortunately timed injuries.
Carmelo Anthony might be a better fit for the Clippers if Blake Griffin leaves the Clippers. Anthony can space the floor for DeAndre Jordan, who is being touted as the future of the Clippers. Carmelo also has some good post up skills which will be missed once Griffin is gone. While Carmelo Anthony is not known for his defensive prowess, Griffin is not exactly a great defender. So nothing is going to be missed there.
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The Clippers will have to give up some rebounding and muscle if they let go of Griffin. However, Carmelo Anthony could also provide the Clippers versatility. Anthony could switch between small forward and power forward depending on what the situation needs.
A previous rumor has said that the Clippers could get Carmelo Anthony, Blake Griffin, and Jordan playing together. While that sounds like a star-studded dream, that front court would have a lot of spacing issues. The Clippers are better off letting go of Blake Griffin if they want to get Carmelo Anthony.
Next up is the New York Knicks. The team needs to get younger for the future. With Carmelo Anthony’s departure, it looks like they are looking to build around Kristaps Porzingis. While having the scoring prowess of Jamal Crawford is a good bonus, those three future first round picks are what is going to keep the Knicks happy. If the Knicks’ fans have to endure the departure of Carmelo Anthony, then having some young first round rookies might keep them satisfied.
Lastly is the Boston Celtics who have been on fire as of late. According to iSport Times, the Boston Celtics are slowly becoming a big threat for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East. And the scary part is that the Celtics still have some room to grow in their roster, unlike the cash-strapped Cavaliers. Getting Blake Griffin might just give them that extra punch they need to finally knock out the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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Blake Griffin is a great inside scorer and a good rebounder. The Cavaliers are having some trouble with their lack of bigs and Boston could capitalize on that with Blake Griffin. Horford and Griffin can both switch to center which gives the Celtics more versatility. Griffins improved pick and roll game will work great with Boston star Isaiah Thomas’ scoring style. With Cleveland’s recent slide, this could be the year where there is a new king in the east.
Carmelo Anthony and Blake Griffin could be heading somewhere before the trade deadline ends so fans better stay tuned for any developments regarding this story.
[Featured Image by Frank Franklin II/AP Images]
