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Sixers Have Talked to LA Clippers About Blake Griffin Trade

Could the Sixers swing a deal with Los Angeles for the out of favor Clippers superstar?

David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The process of rebuilding the Sixers has been chided as a race to the bottom, but the beauty of their current state is they have the flexibility to move upward in various ways. According to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, they're exploring one such route by discussing a possible trade for Clippers forward Blake Griffin.

Griffin has been in the headlines as of late for decidedly non-basketball reasons, getting into scraps with equipment managers (he'll fit in with Jahlil Okafor!) on top of missing time due to other injuries. Cynics will have a field day with the fact that the Sixers are inquiring during a time Griffin can't play, but if he were available to play he wouldn't be in trade discussions to begin with.

It's hard to say what the Clippers would be looking for in return, and it's pretty unrealistic to expect the Sixers have much that would fit with what the Clippers want/need at the moment. They are decidedly in win-now mode, with Chris Paul turning 31 in May and lots of money tied up between their core three. If LA decides to blow it up altogether, the assets on hand in Philadelphia would be a major boon, but as it stands there's not a lot of contention-ready talent to help the Clips make an immediate run out West.

On the Sixers end, Griffin would cause a drastic shift in where things are headed. Soon to be 27 with two years left on his contract after this season, his arrival would signal the end of any grace period for the franchise. A ready-made superstar (and one of the league's most exciting players) coming to Philadelphia would be hard to comprehend. Griffin is a one-man fast break and an increasingly diverse player in the half-court that would alleviate a lot of their offensive woes by himself.

This is likely nothing more than Sam Hinkie, Jerry Colangelo and Co. doing their due diligence with a star player on the block, but it's the type of opportunity this process seeks to take advantage of. Stay tuned.

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