By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher
The Los Angeles Clippers and the Oklahoma City Thunder have reportedly talked about a blockbuster deal that could change the power in the Western Conference behind the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs. The proposed deal would send Blake Griffin to the Thunder for Kevin Durant, according to ESPN.
Since the trade cannot be completed in a one-on-one swap due to the players’ salaries, the Clippers would have to add in a player or two, along with possibly a draft pick, to make the deal work out.

With the Clippers being over the cap and having a post-trade team salary over the trade threshold, the 25% trade rule would be invoked when it goes to a Griffin-Durant trade. The Clippers could not receive more than 125% plus $100,000 of the salary given out for the trade to work.
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However, the Clippers did not meet the requirements of the Hard Cap rules of staying under the tax threshold plus $4 million for adjusted post-trade team salary.
Also, the Thunder did not meet the provisions of the CBA when it failed to meet the requirements after the 25% was invoked. Oklahoma City could not receive more than 125% plus $100,000 of the salary given out for the trade to be accepted.
Durant is averaging 27.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game in 36.2 minutes this season. The 27-year-old is in the final year of a five-year, $89 million deal he signed with the Thunder before the 2011-12 season.
He’s making $20.15 million this season, and any team would love to have this Top Five player.
Griffin is averaging 23.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 34.9 minutes. Yet, he hasn’t played since Christmas Day when the Clippers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center.
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Griffin is an Oklahoma native and played collegiate basketball at the University of Oklahoma with his brother. He’s making $18.9 million this season and was recently involved in a fight with an assistant equipment manager, which has made every team call the team about his services.
Following this season, he has a $20.1 million salary for next season before an option for $21.3 in 2017-18. He also has a 15% trade kicker in his contract, which makes it more difficult to trade him, but it can be done.
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