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NBA Trade Rumors: 10 Teams That Should Trade For Blake Griffin

By Gerald Bourguet

December 21, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) moves the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
December 21, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) moves the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 24, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) battles for position with Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari (8) and forward Darrell Arthur (00) in the third quarter at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

6. Denver Nuggets

Let’s get weird. Though the Denver Nuggets would probably prefer to get Kenneth Faried and his contract off their books, Danilo Gallinari is probably their most realistic/attractive trade asset. You think the Clippers’ spread offense has been working lately? Just imagine if they traded for Gallo and experimented with him as a small-ball 4.

Gallo would be even more undersized in that position than Griffin is, but he’s averaging a career high 19.4 points per game and would spread the floor out to three-point territory with his 36.9 percent shooting from downtown. Against an undersized Draymond Green, he might be able to hold his own. (One small caveat: Gallo cannot be traded until Feb. 2.)

The Clippers would also enjoy the additional scoring punch of Will Barton, a top Sixth Man of the Year candidate who is averaging 15.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game on 38.4 percent shooting from deep. Rivers could either bring that energetic burst off the bench or he could start him at the 3 right away in a smaller lineup.

Finally, the Clippers would be getting a nice big with upside in Joffrey Lauvergne, a second-year power forward/center who has shown signs of promise when he’s received enough playing time. Given Denver’s center logjam of Jusuf Nurkic, Nikola Jokic and Lauvergne, something has to give sooner or later, so why not make him expendable in a deal that nets the Nuggets their first superstar since Carmelo Anthony.

From Denver’s perspective, giving up a fan favorite like Gallo would hurt, but there’s not a Nuggets fan alive that would turn down a deal like that right now. Even if it created a logjam at power forward, Griffin is still only 26 and the team’s younger prospects like Nurkic and Emmanuel Mudiay would definitely benefit from playing with a star of his caliber.

It would take quite a ransom to haul in Griffin, but the Nuggets should be familiar with that kind of deal since they were on the receiving end of a similar deal in the Melo trade. Barton has been a joy and Lauvergne has potential, but if they have the assets that would entice Rivers, you don’t think twice about a deal like this.

Unfortunately, Lauvergne is still a few years away and even a nice Gallo-Barton combo probably wouldn’t be enough to satisfy Doc Rivers for the here and now.

Next: No. 5

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