Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
It appears that the Kevin Garnett to the Los Angeles Clippers trade rumors are heating up again.
According to a report by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Clippers and Boston Celtics are discussing a possible trade that would send Garnett to the Clippers in exchange for backup point guard Eric Bledsoe and starting center DeAndre Jordan.
Garnett is averaging 15.1 points and 7.7 rebounds on the season.
Similar trade talks were rumored to be true earlier in the month, only it was small forward Caron Butler’s named being brought up instead of Jordan’s.
With a no-trade clause in his contract, Kevin Garnett won’t be going anywhere without his full consent and approval. He needs to be 100% behind any potential move before it can come into fruition.
"“I bleed green; I die green, that’s what it is,” he said. “But it is a business. If it crosses the path, I’ll deal with it. But trades are a part of this league. Every year, you’re going to hear things.”But as far as trades involving his name, Garnett said, “If I were y’all, I wouldn’t read too much into it.”(ProBasketballTalk)"
His loyalty to the Celtics franchise is undeniable, but even Kevin needs to realize that the glory days in Beantown are coming to an end.
Boston currently owns a record of 28-24, which is good enough for seventh in the Eastern Conference. They’ve won eight of their last 10 games, which is all the more impressive considering all-star point guard Rajon Rondo recently tore the ACL in his right knee, which will keep him out for the remainder of the season.
This hot streak is nice and all, but fans should take it with a grain of salt. The East is incredibly weak compared to the West, and even with Rondo gone, the Celtics can manage getting into the postseason with what they currently have.
It’s safe to say that they won’t be competing for an NBA Championship though, which is their ultimate goal. Their aging stars and injuries to key players will eventually bite them in the butt come April.
I wasn’t fully on board with a package of Bledsoe and Butler, but replacing Caron with DeAndre Jordan has made me change my tune.
Through 56 games, Jordan is averaging 9.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks a game. At just 24 years old, Jordan could be the center of the future Boston so desperately needs. He’s got a great build, tremendous length and a freakish athleticism for a man of his stature.
Eric Bledsoe (23) is no slouch either (9.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists). If given consistent starters minutes, he could emerge as a true star in this league.
With Chauncey Billups (21 points on Friday night vs the Los Angeles Lakers) recently returning from an injury, Bledsoe could see his minutes drastically cut back for the remainder of the season in L.A, despite his stellar play.
Taking on Eric Bledsoe could also make a healthy Rondo available for trade talks in the future. The Celtics have found success without him in the past, so perhaps dealing him while his value his high is the way to go, especially if this deal for Bledsoe goes through.
For Los Angeles, if they are serious about contending for a championship this season, then snagging Garnett from the Celtics is the best option. He isn’t a long-term investment at 36 years old, but he’s more of a sure thing than Jordan/Bledsoe are at the moment.
This trade makes sense for both parties involved. I can respect the fact that Garnett wants to end his career as a Boston Celtic, but if he truly wants to add one more championship to his already hall-of-fame resume before he walks off into the sunset, then he should strongly consider waiving that no-trade clause and make one final push with the Clippers.
Chris Walder is the Editor of Sir Charles in Charge. You may follow him on Twitter at @WalderSports