Los Angeles Clippers Threaten To Blow Up Trade With Boston Celtics

May 19, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling before the start of game three of the Western Conference semi finals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at the Staples Center. San Antonio Spurs won 96-86. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /

The Los Angeles Clippers may feel like they’ve been backed into a corner as they’re apparently refusing to give the Boston Celtics any compensation for Doc Rivers and are hinting they might “blow up” the deal because the Celtics will not back off of their demands of a first round pick for Rivers.

Per Wojo:

"The Los Angeles Clippers are continuing to withhold any offers of compensation to secure the rights to Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers and are threatening to blow up the blockbuster deal they’ve negotiated with the coach, league sources told Yahoo! Sports."

Earlier today, the NBA told both teams that the deals they had constructed would not be allowed per NBA rules as trades can not correlate towards each other, as the two deals would have. The NBA deems that “collusion”. Because of that, the Clippers and Celtics needed to re-work their deal(s) that would have sent Kevin Garnett to Los Angeles in exchange for DeAndre Jordan and the second deal would have allowed Doc Rivers to coach in Los Angeles while the Celtics would have received a collection of picks and/or cash.

But now the Clippers feel they’re giving up plenty enough in Jordan and feel the Celtics should simply let Rivers walk, which would allow the Jordan/Garnett trade to be completed as there wouldn’t be a second trade needed.

No deal is expected tonight, especially with Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals just hours away.

Home/Boston Celtics