Kevin Garnett wouldn’t have been enough for Chris Paul and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Perhaps five or six years ago he would have, but now.
When the deal that would have landed Garnett and Doc Rivers in Tinseltown went South, Clippers fans shouldn’t have been jumping for joy. Seriously. Unloading DeAndre Jordan would have been huge for the development of the team, opening offensive doors only Paul knows exist.
Danny Ainge confirms to the @BostonGlobe that the proposed Clippers-Celtics deal is, in fact, dead.
— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) June 18, 2013
While there is cause to be disappointed though, there is little grounds for heartbreak. This trade wouldn’t have been that big of deal, despite what we’re being told.
Had a deal been reached, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Paul would have been a lock to re-sign with the Clippers.
“The Clippers are prepared to give Rivers a four- or five-year deal to coach and believe acquiring Rivers and Garnett – who will waive his no-trade clause – will lock up the re-signing of free-agent superstar Chris Paul, sources said”, Woj wrote.
And you know what? We should believe him. Because it’s Woj. He’s almost never wrong. When he is, it just feels weird. So we must assume he’s right, because, well, he’s right.
But that doesn’t mean this deal was right for the Clippers. It sure as hell wasn’t bad—though I wouldn’t have taken on both Jason Terry and Courtney Lee’s contracts either if I’m the Clippers—but it wasn’t great.
Garnett wouldn’t have done anything for the Clippers long term. Perhaps he takes them to another level for the next two years, but then what? He retires? What’s the plan then?
The same goes for Los Angeles’ hope that Paul Pierce would be bought out by Boston and then shimmy his way on over to the Clippers. Pierce wouldn’t make the Clippers contenders for the duration of Paul’s contract.
Everything changes if the Clippers were able to trade Blake Griffin and Eric Bledsoe to the Lakers for Dwight Howard. Having the best center in the game alongside the best point guard in the game, both of whom are on the right side of 30, is good for the future. That alone wouldn’t make the Clippers legitimate title contenders.
So long as teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat, among others, are running around, that version of the Clippers isn’t set. They wouldn’t be deep enough. And even if they were, they’re only that deep for the next couple years then bam, Paul and Howard (or Griffin) are left on their own.
From there it becomes a game of free agency and trades and all that complicated stuff. In just two years. That’s hardly a stable plan.
Again, this isn’t to say the Clippers would have been worse after the trade. They wouldn’t have. Pretending that it would have set the franchise up for years of success or even guarantee a title is absurd, though. Sure, it would have made Paul a lock to re-sign, but he likely isn’t going anywhere anyway. I’m also surprised that he would sign off on such a deal knowing that the Clippers were not only taking back a 37-year-old Garnett, but also an onerous contract or two.
To that end, I believe he hasn’t ruled out signing with the Clippers because this trade didn’t go down. Had he given them an ultimatum, they would have done whatever it took–unless Donald Sterling was feeling courageous.
Also, I’ll believe this deal is truly dead when the Clippers hire another coach. Rekindled talks shouldn’t surprise any of us at this point. Nothing should.
Going on the assumption that nothing will happen, that the Clippers won’t make this trade, I can honestly say I’m indifferent. That’s how minor this deal truly was. Even though Rivers would have been the prime get, it wasn’t all it was made out to be. And if Paul opts to leave over this, then I’d be shocked.
More likely, if he leaves, he’ll have left because he understands that the Clippers aren’t built to contend with the Thunder or Heat—the exact same position they would have been in even after acquiring Garnett.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
