Forward Blake Griffin is staying with Lob City, as the Los Angeles Clippers have no plans of trading the five-time All-Star despite rumors swirling after he was involved in an off-court incident.
During a matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day, Griffin suffered a quadriceps injury which already made him miss a number of their games.
While being sidelined, Griffin had an altercation with Clippers assistant equipment manager Matias Testi, with the team on the road during that time.
Griffin punched Testi twice and that led to a hand injury keeping him out for an extended period of time.
The Clippers organization and head coach Doc Rivers already denounced Griffin's actions, with owner Steve Ballmer saying there are consequences for what occurred.
Because of the confrontation, Griffin became a hot topic in the trade rumor mill and was even linked to a potential deal sending him to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for former Most Valuable Player (MVP) Kevin Durant.
But the Clippers are aiming to keep Griffin even after receiving calls from teams who have trade proposals, the Los Angeles Times reported. According to the news outlet, Lob City is "reluctant" to ship the 26-year-old, who is considered as a cornerstone of the franchise, to another team.
In 30 games played and started this season, Griffin is averaging 23.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and five assists in 34.9 minutes of action per outing. The former first-overall pick was on track for perhaps one of his best seasons, but the recent setbacks derailed him.
A trade is unlikely to happen as the deadline nears, with Griffin still considered a major part of the franchise's present and future.
The Clippers are coming off a win over one of the Eastern Conference's best, the Miami Heat, and remained fourth in the Western Conference standings with a 34–17 record.
