The Boston Celtics proposed mega trade with the Los Angeles Clippers now appears to be at impasse, as the teams are in limbo over the status of prized guard Eric Bledsoe.
The teams have been working on what would be a blockbuster trade , sending coach Doc Rivers and players Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Clippers, but Boston is holding out for two of the Clippers star young players.
The Celtics reportedly want Bledsoe and center DeAndre Jordan, but the Clippers have held strong against shipping Bledsoe, who plays backup to Chris Paul. This seems a bit of an insurance policy for the Clippers, who want to hold onto Bledsoe until Paul commits to Los Angeles, then ship off Bledsoe in a separate trade.
If either the Clippers or Celtics don’t back off demands within the next day or two, the trade will likely fall apart. But even then, there are more hurdles to cross. Doc Rivers would not actually be traded but instead released from his contract with the Celtics and acquired by Los Angeles.Rivers has three years and $21 million left on his contract.
Kevin Garnett also has a no-trade clause that must be waived in order for the trade to go through.
If the trade doesn’t seem to be coming together, sources say the Clippers will look to hire either Lionel Hollis or Brian Shaw as their next head coach.
Whether the trade happens or not, it seems that Paul Pierce will likely be elsewhere next season, says Celtics reporter Greg Dickerson believes Paul Pierce is done with the Boston Celtics.
“I don’t think they will (bring Pierce back),” Dickerson said last week on CSNNE. “And I know that the company that Paul Pierce hangs around in, they do not believe – and I don’t think Paul Pierce believes – that he is going to be brought back next year at $15 million. I know for a fact that people around Paul Pierce have pretty much resigned themselves to the fact that he’s played his final game in a Boston Celtics uniform. Again, Paul wants to stay – obviously for $15 million, but he wants to finish his career in a Celtics uniform.”
The Clippers may also be looking for another blockbuster trade outside of the proposal with the Celtics. They are reportedly weighing a deal offering forward Blake Griffin and Bledsoe to the Los Angeles Lakers in a sign-and-trade offer for Dwight Howard.