NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz Around Blake Griffin’s Future, Rudy Gay Trade and More

With a little less than a month gone in the 2016-17 NBA campaign, general managers are getting a better feel for their respective teams.

That could increase the likelihood of trades in the coming weeks as front office personnel identify weaknesses on their rosters.

Rudy Gay is among those consistently discussed in trade deals, while fans are already beginning to speculate about the futures of impending free agents—Blake Griffin most notably.

Below are updates regarding the two veterans, in addition to an update about the Cleveland Cavaliers’ pursuit of a backup point guard.

Griffin Unlikely to Offer Thunder a Lifeline

With Kevin Durant’s move to the Bay Area, the Oklahoma City Thunder are in desperate need of a second star to pair with Russell Westbrook. Otherwise, the Thunder will be unable to climb to the top in the Western Conference.

In a perfect world for Oklahoma City, the team signs Griffin this offseason. The five-time All-Star can become a free agent after the 2016-17 season. He’s a native of Oklahoma City and played two years for the Oklahoma Sooners.

However, ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe provided a cold dose of reality for Thunder fans.

“There is no sign [Griffin] wants to come home, per several sources,” Lowe wrote last Thursday.

It’s not all that hard to see why Griffin would shy away from returning to Oklahoma.

The Thunder couldn’t get over the hump with two top-10 talents in Durant and Westbrook, and the team’s current supporting cast isn’t demonstrably better than it was when Oklahoma City fell short of the NBA Finals in recent years.

General manager Sam Presti signed Victor Oladipo to a four-year, $84 million extension in the hope Oladipo could be a solid backcourt complement to Westbrook. As CBSSports.com’s Chris Towers argued, however, the pairing may not make much sense:

Oladipo taking more playmaking can save Westbrook some wear and tear, but is there any reason to think that would make them better?

— Chris Towers (@CTowersCBS) November 15, 2016

Oladipo just feels soooo redundant next to Westbrook. Not a …

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