![The Clippers parted ways with Blake Griffin when they completed a trade with the Pistons. -- [Red Bull via YouTube screencap]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2018/1/31/660x290/b_502x220x82/the-clippers-parted-ways-with-blake-griffin-when-they-completed-a-trade-with-the-pistons-red-bull-via-youtube_1805889.jpg "The Clippers parted ways with Blake Griffin when they completed a trade with the Pistons. -- [Red Bull via YouTube screencap]")
The Los Angeles Clippers stunned the world when they completed a Trade that saw them end their relationship with Blake Griffin. The Oklahoma native spent nearly a decade with the organization that selected him with the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.
The Clippers sent Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons, together with Brice Johnson and Willie Reed. In return, they acquired Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris, and Boban Marjanović. The Clippers also received a protected first-round pick and a future second-rounder as well. Those future picks could be huge for the franchise.
Hazy future
The trade involving Blake Griffin was a significant move for the Clippers. However, instead of giving them a better view of the future, it may have done otherwise.
In a recent report by ESPN, Clippers head coach Doc Rivers commented on the Blake Griffin trade for the first time. According to the one-time champion coach, the deal does not mean that they are "trading everybody away." There are rumors that the Clippers also plan to part ways with All-Star center DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams.
If Rivers is shutting down trade talks, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank seems okay with it. Frank's statement after the departure of Blake Griffin even suggests that the Clippers are keeping their doors open for potential swaps.
"You never know how it's going to unfold with the trade deadline looming. There will be a lot of activity, so we'll see how it plays out," he explained per ESPN.
The varying opinions of Rivers and Frank make the Clippers' future a bit vague. It is uncertain at this point if they are aiming to complete another blockbuster trade or if the current roster is enough.
The good news is that both Rivers and Frank are on the same page when it comes to the Clippers' top goal, which is to remain competitive. At the moment, the Clippers sit on the ninth spot in the Western Conference with their 25-25 record. They are just half a game away from the eighth seed which belongs to the Denver Nuggets.
Unfortunately for them, their first outing since the Blake Griffin trade was a failure, as they got beaten by the Portland Trail Blazers, 104-96.
Up next
Life without Blake Griffin continues for the Los Angeles Clippers on February 3 when they host the Chicago Bulls. The game is the second of a three-game homestand. After the Bulls, it is the Dallas Mavericks who will visit the Clippers at the Staples Center on February 5.
