Blake Griffin Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Clippers Notes: Jordan, Griffin, Beverley

January 14th, 2018 at 8:03pm CST by Austin Kent

The time has come for the Clippers to trade DeAndre Jordan, Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders writes. The big man’s name has been subject to speculation for much of the season but now a rebuild is inevitable.

While Jordan isn’t the problem, he can be part of the team’s solution heading forward, Hamilton writes. Re-signing the 29-year-old big man would keep L.A. competitive enough to miss out on the benefits of being a bad team — unloading him for parts could help the team set off in the right direction.

There’s more out of L.A.:

An in-depth interview conducted by Marc Spears of The Undefeated sheds light on Blake Griffin‘s upbringing in Oklahoma. The scribe spoke with the power forward about everything from growing up biracial in Oklahoma to Chris Paul‘s departure.
The Clippers’ second unit has taken to referring to itself as the Goon Squad, Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times writes. Front and center of the bunch is Lou Williams, even though he’s spent time as a starter of late. “I am the leader of the Goon Squad. Yet and still,” Williams said. “I’ve started, what, six games this season? [Actually 11]. So I can’t really call myself a starter. I’m still a bench guy.”
While his return to the court may still be months away, Patrick Beverley is thrilled to return to rejoin his team on the sidelines. “I’m ecstatic, I get to talk some [trash] on the bench today,” he told Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register. “[…] I wanted to stay in Houston until I was off the crutches, but I’m back. I’m back for good now.”

Clippers Proposed Blockbuster Deal Involving Griffin, Towns

January 13th, 2018 at 9:28am CST by marksuleymanov

The Clippers proposed a deal to the Timberwolves that would have sent Blake Griffin to Minnesota in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns but talks did not advance past the initial phone call, Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders writes.

The Timberwolves view Towns as a franchise cornerstone who is not available at this time, Scotto notes. Aside from Minnesota’s reluctance to part with Towns, several other factors stand in the way of a trade. Los Angeles signed Griffin to a massive five-year, $171MM extension this past offseason. Not only does that make Griffin ineligible to be traded until January 15, but Towns’ salary is a mere $6.2MM compared to Griffin’s $29.5MM.

To facilitate a trade, the Timberwolves would likely need to send at least two more players to L.A. to acquire Griffin. That would also complicate the Clippers’ roster as the organization would need to figure how to open a roster spot for the hypothetical third player acquired, according to Scotto.

Griffin, 28, has played well when healthy for the Clippers this season, averaging 22.6 PPG, 7.7 RPG, and 5.2 APG in 25 games. In his third season, the 22-year-old Towns’ scoring is down from last season (20.2 PPG) but his 12.0 RPG in an NBA-best 44 games is in line with his career totals.

The Clippers’ performance this season has fluctuated but the team is currently one game behind the Pelicans for the eighth seed with a 20-21 record. A rebuild has been rumored for months which would likely include shipping the likes of DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams elsewhere. However, this is the first time we are hearing that the Clippers have discussed Griffin in trade talks.

Pacific Notes: Jackson, Jordan, Clippers

January 12th, 2018 at 4:49pm CST by Austin Kent

A difficult string of games in which the Suns were noticeably better without Josh Jackson than with him precipitated a change in his relationship with head coach Jay Triano. Now, Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic writes, the first-year forward has started to regain the coaching staff’s trust.

When Triano told Jackson that he was losing his confidence in him, he asked the player what he might suggest to repair the situation. Since then, the two have watched film of Suns games.

“[Jackson suggested they watch film of Suns games] just to see what [Triano] sees,” Jackson said. “Sometimes, two people look at the same play and see two totally different things. He has a basketball mind and he’s really smart, so just trying to see what he sees and trying to pick his brain a little bit.”

In the three games since, Jackson has averaged 14 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game for the Suns, shooting an impressive .486 from the field and .556 from three.

There’s more from the Pacific Division this afternoon:

The Clippers were treated to some good news on Thursday when it was revealed that Blake Griffin could return to action following a concussion and Milos Teodosic after another bout of plantar fascia issues (NBA.com report). Of course, in true Clippers fashion, DeAndre Jordan sprained his ankle hours later and had to leave the match (ESPN report).
The NBA fined Warriors forward Draymond Green $25K for comments critical of officials on Saturday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. The Dubs took down the Clippers that night.
Clippers head coach Doc Rivers thinks that NBA players seem to get injured more often than they used to because they’re not playing basketball enough. Per Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register, Rivers posits that players do more things outside of the sport these days and that consistently reliable Jamal Crawford is one example of a guy that is constantly playing the game outside of his professional commitment.

Clippers Notes: Williams, Rivers, Evans, Wilson

January 1st, 2018 at 5:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers now have a formidable 1-2 offensive punch in power forward Blake Griffin and combo guard Lou Williams, Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register writes. Franchise player Griffin pumped in 24 points on Friday after missing 14 games with a knee injury. Williams, who became the team’s top scorer in his absence, poured in 40 points off the bench on Sunday as the Clippers won their third straight. “He’s been unbelievable for us,” Griffin told Teaford and other media members. “I knew he could score and all that, but he’s been better than advertised in my opinion.” Williams, 31, is averaging a career-high 21.4 PPG and 4.8 APG.

In other developments concerning the Clippers:

The team was relieved that Austin Rivers’ right Achilles tendon injury wasn’t serious, Teaford reports in a separate story. Rivers was injured on Friday but an MRI revealed no structural damage and he could return to action on Wednesday. “I didn’t see it,” coach and father Doc Rivers said. “I just saw him lying on the ground. My nerves came from our trainer’s look when he pointed to his Achilles. Whenever someone points to an Achilles we’ve been conditioned to think like Pavlov’s dog, ‘Oh my.’ Talking to Austin, he was scared and I think that probably played into it, as well. He’s good now.”
Rookie guard Jawun Evans made his first NBA start on Sunday in place of Rivers, as Teaford notes. Evans, who is averaging 5.4 PPG and 1.9 APG, has made a strong impression on Doc Rivers. “Jawun has been way more effective than I ever thought,” he said. “We didn’t know we were going to play Jawun and we were getting him ready for the G League. He’s had an impact in games.”
Forward Jamil Wilson, who is on a two-way contract, didn’t think he’d get a chance to play in the NBA until the Clippers gave him a shot on their summer-league team, Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times reports. Wilson, 27, thought he’d spend the rest of his career overseas. “I’m not going to lie about it. When I was in Italy, it was a crossing point for me,” he told Woelfel. “I wasn’t seeing any real NBA interest and I decided if nothing happened I’d continue my career over there. I could play in Europe until I was 38 or 39. As long as you can shoot the ball, you can play over there. I thought I’d be over there a while.’’

Injury Updates: Curry, Griffin, Paul, Hill

December 28th, 2017 at 7:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Two-time MVP Stephen Curry is expected to return on Saturday during a home game against the Grizzlies, Chris Haynes of ESPN.com reports. Curry will miss his 11th straight game on Friday because of a right ankle sprain but he participated in drills and a 3-on-3 scrimmage during practice on Thursday. “If all goes well, I expect him to play Saturday, but even if it goes well, I’m not expecting him to play (Friday),” Warriors coach Steve Kerr told the assembled media.

In other injury-related news around the league:

Blake Griffin practiced on Thursday after practicing with the Clippers’ G-League team on Wednesday, but it’s still uncertain whether he’ll play on Friday against the Lakers, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Griffin has missed 14 games due to a sprained left MCL. Griffin said he would defer to the team’s medical staff. “That’s why we have the team doctors,” he said. “That’s why we have the training staff that we do. They have done a great job so far putting together … a rehab plan and pushing me and getting to this point.”
Rockets point guard Chris Paul is expected to play either Friday against the Wizards or Sunday against the Lakers, coach Mike D’Antoni told Jeff Goodman of ESPN (Twitter link). Paul missed his third consecutive game on Thursday due to an adductor strain.
Pelicans forward Solomon Hill rejoined the team to watch their victory over the Nets on Wednesday, but he’s not close to returning from the torn hamstring he suffered in August, William Guillory of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. Hill was expected to miss 6-8 months and that hasn’t changed. “It’s not going to get any quicker or anything like that.,” coach Alvin Gentry said. “We’re just going to have to let it play out. He’s still got a ways to go before he’s able to get back on the court and actually play.”

Clippers Hope To Have Blake Griffin Back Soon

December 26th, 2017 at 6:02pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Clippers are hoping that Blake Griffin will return to the court before the end of December, according to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).

Griffin, who sprained the MCL in his left knee at the end of November, was initially expected to miss up to two months. He missed the last 13 games because of the injury and the team has gone 5-8 so far during his absence.

The Clippers play the Kings tonight before taking on the Lakers on Friday and the Hornets on Sunday.

Clippers Coach Doc Rivers’ Job Seems Safe

December 4th, 2017 at 7:19pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Clippers coach Doc Rivers will likely hold onto his job the remainder of the season, multiple sources told USA Today’s Sam Amick. Owner Steve Ballmer feels the team’s rash of injuries has made it difficult to judge Rivers’ performance this season, Amick continues. The team’s top player, power forward Blake Griffin, is out at least a month with an MCL sprain. Point guard Patrick Beverley underwent season-ending knee surgery, while newcomers Milos Teodosic and Danilo Gallinari have barely played because of ailments. “You’ve just got to hang in there,” Rivers told Amick. “People get down on the team. They get down on you. They get down on everybody. That’s what happens, and you can’t waver. You’ve just got to keep doing your job, and the players have to just keep playing.”

Other notable items from Amick’s story:

The club is taking calls on center DeAndre Jordan but not actively shopping him. Jordan is expected to opt of the final year of his contract next summer, leaving $24.1MM on the table. The front office believes it can re-sign him, so they’re asking price for any potential deal is high. The market could heat up on December 15th, when many players who signed new contracts last summer are eligible to be dealt. Jordan hired an agent on Monday, which could facilitate trade talks.
The team remains committed to building around Griffin, who re-signed with them over the summer. Griffin doesn’t have an opt-out on his massive five-year, $171.1MM deal until the summer of 2021.
Productive role players, such as guard Lou Williams, could be dealt for draft picks. The team still has its first-rounder in June but dealt away its 2019 pick.

Pacific Notes: Chriss, Bodganovic, Griffin

December 1st, 2017 at 9:37pm CST by Austin Kent

After gaining an undisclosed but noticeable amount of weight over the summer, Suns sophomore Marquese Chriss is intent on getting back into the same impressive shape he was in last year as a rookie, Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic writes.

The 20-year-old, averaging just 6.3 points per game in what could have been a breakout campaign with the Suns, said that he felt invincible coming out of college, giving little to no thought about his diet. Chriss realizes now that things change.

“You’re on a limited budget in college but all of a sudden I had nothing but free time and money,” Chriss said, now eager to get to a point where he can play 35 minutes a night if the Suns need it. “I needed to learn how to manage. I needed to grow up in that aspect of my life so I’m grateful that it happened sooner rather than later.”

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

The knee injury that Clippers forward Blake Griffin sustained is more commonly seen in football players (think linemen falling into running backs), Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register writes. Fortunately, a doctor that the scribe consulted says things could have been a lot worse than they ended up being. MCL tears, Teaford writes, tend to require less rehabilitation than ACL tears, which control front and back movement.
The Lakers may have lost to Golden State in their Wednesday night tilt this week but Sam Amick of USA Today writes that the young team did an excellent job showcasing their appeal to future free agents.
Draft-and-stash rookie Bogdan Bogdanovic is getting accustomed to life with the Kings and settling into life in the U.S. The 25-year-old tells Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee that he thinks he can be a better player in the NBA than he was in Europe.

Blake Griffin Sprains MCL, May Miss Two Months

November 28th, 2017 at 2:15pm CST by Luke Adams

2:15pm: The Clippers have now confirmed Griffin’s sprained MCL, announcing in a press release that he didn’t sustain any structural damage in his left knee. However, the team’s announcement indicated that recovery for this specific injury can take up to about eight weeks (Twitter link via David Aldridge). That’s in line with a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who tweets that Griffin’s recovery could take two months.

2:03pm: The Clippers fear that Griffin could be sidelined for at least the next month, per Sam Amick of USA Today.

1:38pm: Clippers forward Blake Griffin has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL after leaving Monday night’s game with a left knee injury, a source tells David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter link). Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times first reported earlier today that the Clippers suspected an MCL sprain. According to Aldridge, Griffin will be out for “a while.”

The Clippers have yet to confirm the diagnosis or to announce a recovery timetable for Griffin, but Aldridge suggests the team is relieved that the news wasn’t worse. Griffin sustained the injury in the fourth quarter of Monday’s win over the Lakers when he got entangled with Austin Rivers and Lonzo Ball, and it didn’t look good at first glance, with the big man’s knee bending awkwardly as he fell to the floor.

A long-term injury for Griffin, in the wake of a season-ending knee issue for point guard Patrick Beverley, would have been devastating for the Clippers, who have also been without Milos Teodosic and Danilo Gallinari for much of the season. The club entered the season expecting to earn a playoff spot, but dropped nine games in a row this month and currently sits in the lottery at 8-11.

We’ll wait for official word from the Clippers on Griffin’s injury before speculating about what it might mean for the rest of the team’s season. However, if the five-time All-Star misses several weeks and the Clips fall further out of postseason contention, this will be a franchise worth keeping an eye on. DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams are among the veterans on track for 2018 free agency who would have value on the trade market, and Doc Rivers‘ future in L.A. would be uncertain if the team rebuilds – or even just retools – its roster.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Blake Griffin Being Evaluated After Injuring Knee

November 28th, 2017 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

After Blake Griffin left Monday night’s game against the Lakers in the fourth quarter with a left knee injury, the Clippers are hoping for the best, writes Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com. Griffin, who suffered the injury after getting tangled up with Lonzo Ball and Austin Rivers, will undergo evaluations on Tuesday to diagnosis the issue.

Acknowledging that Griffin’s injury “didn’t look good,” Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said last night that the team is taking a wait-and-see approach while it waits for the results of Tuesday’s evaluation. Rivers is hopeful that it won’t be a long-term issue.

“I think it’s hyperextended,” Rivers said of Griffin’s knee, per Mark Whicker of The Los Angeles Daily News. “I hope it’s hyperextended. I hope that’s all it is, because if it is, he might miss a game or two. I hope it’s not worse. That’s the last thing we need, missing that guy.”

While Rivers is staying positive, there’s some fear that Griffin suffered a sprained MCL and will miss a significant period of time, tweets Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. As Turner notes, the team will have a better sense of the extent of the injury after today’s tests.

Griffin, who signed a new five-year, $171MM+ contract with L.A. back in July, has been plagued by left knee and leg injuries throughout his career, as Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer details (via Twitter). The former first overall pick hasn’t played more than 67 games in a regular season since the 2013/14 campaign.

Meanwhile, the Clippers have also been hit hard by injuries so far in 2017/18, with Milos Teodosic and Danilo Gallinari missing time and Patrick Beverley undergoing a knee procedure that will sideline him for the rest of the season. Los Angeles has bounced back from a nine-game losing streak to win its last three games, but a long-term injury to Griffin would make it extremely difficult for the club to earn a playoff spot.