Clippers, Celtics Trade Talks Reach A Standstill

The Clippers and Celtics trade talks over Boston’s head coach Doc Rivers may be taking a turn for the worst. The deal is now at risk of falling apart completely as Los Angeles has failed to offer up the expected compensation.

Boston is looking for a first-round draft pick, but the Western Conference power hasn’t budged just yet. Doc Rivers is under contract for the next three years, but a deal won’t be done until the Clippers are ready to up their offer.

A league source said Chris Paul’s team is focusing it’s move on Doc Rivers and putting aside their interests in Kevin Garnett for now. With that said, nothing may ever come of the talks after NBA commisioner David Stern revealed that the league may veto the trade.

Stern spoke with ESPN Radio and he isn’t so sure the deal could work in the first place. He immediately addressed the situation and made it known that the Clippers and Celtics trade would have violated the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

“The teams are aware that the collective bargaining agreement doesn’t authorize trades involving coaches’ contracts,” Stern said about the deal. “If you think those, at this point — having been all over the media for the last week — are separate transactions … I have a bridge that I would very much enjoy selling to you.”

There have also been multiple reports that Chris Paul initially told his team’s front office that he wanted Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett. In response, a league source says the team owners didn’t feel the same way as their star point guard.

“Chris Paul’s camp wanted Doc and KG, and [owner] Donald Sterling and the Clippers did not,”.the league source said, via the Boston Globe. “But they can’t come out and tell [Paul’s camp] that they don’t want to win, so they’re trying to dance around it and play both sides.”

Is the Clippers and Celtics trade falling apart after reaching a standstill over compensation?