7:44pm: Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld took to Sulia and expanded on the quotation that Woelfel tweeted earlier. Rivers’ full comment on the alleged deal:
“Please, please, let’s move on. That’s so stupid. Let’s move on. It really is, it’s just so stupid. You know how I rarely read stuff, but someone told me to read that. … It’s just stupid. My issue with any of that crap is that network (ESPN), to me, reports a story that they created and then they do reports on it for the next two days, on a story that they created! It’s stupid. [Griffin’s] name isn’t out there. I mean, if you’re the Knicks or whoever, wouldn’t you want Blake Griffin? I would! I don’t see what the story is, I really don’t. I just thought it was such a non-story.”
The Knicks have echoed Rivers’ sentiment and haven’t considered a deal involving Anthony and Griffin, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. According to Berman, the only way the Knicks would attempt to deal for Griffin is if New York was facing a situation where they lost Anthony to another club this summer without compensation.
7:06pm: Before Saturday night’s game against the Spurs, Clippers coach Doc Rivers called the rumors suggesting such a deal between his team and the Knicks “so stupid,” tweets Gary Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.
11:37am: A source tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com that the mutual desire Anthony and Paul have to play together is just as strong as it was in 2010, when Paul suggested at Anthony’s wedding that he’d join the Knicks.
8:04am: As Carmelo Anthony plays out the final year of his contract with the Knicks, club officials have discussed proposing a trade to the Clippers for Blake Griffin, league sources tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. Sources say the Clippers front office has also had internal discussions about such a deal ,but the two sides haven’t talked to each other about a potential deal yet.
As of now, neither team is certain it would pull the trigger. The Clippers appear to be the more reluctant party, however, because of the season Griffin is having. He’s really turned it up as of late, averaging 26 points and nearly 11 rebounds in his past ten games. One source close to the situation said the Clippers’ latest round of talks ended in favor of keeping the 24-year-old.
Meanwhile, New York’s top priority appears to be re-signing Anthony to a long-term deal. Unfortunately for them, the team’s struggles and Melo’s unwillingness to make a commitment to the club mean that they have to explore other possibilities. The Clippers are one possibility for the Knicks since Anthony and Clippers point guard Chris Paul have wanted to play together since 2010 and that sentiment apparently has not changed.
I love Doc.