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Denver Nuggets Reportedly Reject Trade Offer from Clippers

By Jonathan Savitske

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
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 /
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The Denver Nuggets reportedly rejected a trade offer from the Los Angeles Clippers involving Blake Griffin according to ESPN’s Chris Broussard.

Broussard reported that the Los Angeles Clippers offered the Denver Nuggets both Blake Griffin and Lance Stephenson in exchange for Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried, Nikola Jokic and Will Barton. Broussard stated:

"“I was told that the Clippers actually called Denver and offered Blake Griffin and Lance Stephenson for Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried, Nikola Jokic and Will Barton. And Denver turned it down.”"

Clippers’ Head Coach Doc Rivers quickly denied the trade claims, saying that they (LA) would never trade Blake Griffin. Of course, speculation has swirled around Blake Griffin and a potential departure from Los Angeles since a report came out a couple of weeks ago that the Clippers’ forward allegedly punched another team employee in the locker room during an argument. 

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Given Blake Griffin’s insubordinate behavior, it comes as no suprise that Los Angeles is shopping their All-Star big man. The Denver Nuggets were one of the teams who’s name have come up over the past two weeks as a possible landing spot for Griffin. The Denver Nuggets do have some attractive pieces that would become impact players on a contending squad, thereby allowing LA to shed Griffin and not lose any production in the process.

While Blake Griffin in a Nuggets’ uniform would be great (his recent behavior not withstanding), the asking price of Gallinari, Faried, Jokic and Barton is way too steep to even entertain an offer. I actually laughed when I first saw what the Clippers’ wanted.

Kenneth Faried is one of the best rebounders in the game; Danilo Gallinari is a top 30 scorer in the NBA and a rare big man who can shoot from outside; Nikola Jokic is a rookie that has performed well and shows a lot of upside as a center at the NBA level, while Will Barton has evolved into perhaps the top 6th man in the NBA. The Denver Nuggets did well to reject the offer, as they did not receive a package comensurate with the asking price.

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Because the Denver Nuggets are caught in an odd place between contention and a full rebuild, perhaps in the Clippers had offered some future first round picks along with expiring contracts, the deal would have made more sense. Even in GM Tim Connelly wanted to field a contending team, perhaps sending Cole Aldrich and/or Jamal Crawford along with Griffin and a draft pick would have made more sense. I’ll also be honest: I want nothing to do with Lance Stephenson.

As Thursday’s trade deadline approaches, it’s interesting to see whether the Denver Nuggets will actually make a move. If I was a betting man, I would say that the team will elect to stay the course, not trading any players and letting the offseason dictate the direction of the team. I can’t say that I would be disappointed with the outcome.

Next: Denver Nuggets: Why Team Should Expedite Rebuild at Trade Deadline

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