At various times leading up to yesterday's trade deadline, we heard that the Celtics and Clippers were exploring a potential swap that would have sent Kevin Garnett to L.A. and perhaps Eric Bledsoe and DeAndre Jordan to Boston. There were conflicting reports yesterday about whether the two sides were revisiting talks, but in any case, no deal was consummated.
However, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, the primary roadblock to the trade wasn't necessarily an unwillingness from the Clippers or Celtics to reach an agreement — it was Garnett's unwillingness to waive his no-trade clause. Bulpett hears from a league source that Chris Paul reached out to KG and told him that if was open to joining the Clips, Paul would make it happen. However, Garnett expressed a desire to remain with the Celtics, according to Bulpett.
The Clippers had reportedly been reluctant to trade Bledsoe in any deal before being 100% sure that Paul will re-sign with the team this summer, so it's unclear if the two sides could have finalized a trade even if Garnett had approved a move. Ultimately, despite rumors that suggested the Celtics were exploring possible deals involving Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo, all three C's players remained in Boston through the deadline. The club's only move consisted of acquiring Jordan Crawford from the Wizards.