NBA Trade Rumors – Blake Griffin’s Last Year In Los Angeles? Clippers Want Solid Frontcourt With Kevin Love, T-Wolves Need A Star

Blake Griffin could be in his last year with the Los Angeles Clippers.

This was a prediction from Bill Simmons, in his team by team preview of the NBA. Speaking with former player Jalen Rose, they broke down each team's issues.

They have made predictions for every team. It has ranged from the obvious to the sensible to the downright preposterous.

The idea of the Clippers trading Blake Griffin fell into the latter category. Drafting Blake Griffin was the best thing that happened to the franchise in its recent history. He was probably the main reason the Clippers are relevant this year, and the main reason Chris Paul even agreed to the trade that would bring him here. Griffin is not just a spectacular highlight machine on the court, he also has a superstar charisma that brings people to the stands.

But that's the way of the NBA. The stakes are higher now for the Clippers. When they acquired Chris Paul, it sent the message that they're not just a fun team to watch, they're out for the championship. Now that they have a high profile coach to go with their lineup, they don't have too many excuses.

The big question is: can they win a championship with a frontline of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan?

While Bill Simmons went to great lengths to mention that Blake Griffin is underrated and wrongly criticized for his lack of toughness, Griffin is not enough to bring them over the tough frontcourts of the West. DeAndre Jordan is already a very poor defender, that's why the Clippers wanted to execute the Kevin Garnett trade.

The general consensus is that the Clippers frontline will be exposed in the playoffs, just like last year when their run was cut short by the Memphis Grizzlies' grit and grind frontcourt. They have failed to shore up their frontline, and no other team would trade any substantial player for Jordan (Boston wouldn't agree on the Garnett-Jordan swap).

Kevin Love would work in this scenario. He's a veteran, tired of losing, and focused on the title, not the highlight reel. Chris Paul would love to work with him and vice versa. He's the type of player that would mask all of Jordan's deficiencies.

On the other hand, Blake Griffin would make a market friendly pair with Ricky Rubio. They won't win a championship, but they would sell out every night and get on national TV.

For the Minnesota fan base, that could be enough. For the Clippers fans, it's title or bust.