ESPN's Marc Stein reported on Saturday that the Clippers are interested in a sign-and-trade with the Lakers.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that a source close to the situation said the Lakers would never do it.
Despite the temptations to get an All-Star in return for Dwight Howard, the Lakers are right to decline this opportunity.
Howard and point guard Chris Paul are both free agents this summer and have been rumored to want to play together next season. In order to do that, Griffin would likely have to be traded.
The Lakers should not help their crosstown rival in this situation. Not only would they be giving the Clippers an All-Star center, but they would also be helping the Clippers keep the NBA's best point guard.
The Clippers could always find another trade partner to try to get a sign-and-trade done, but the Lakers are the best option because they can offer Howard the most money.
With Kobe Bryant trying to rehab and get ready for the start of the season, the Lakers could have trouble early in the season if they don't find a way to keep Howard.
Bryant may not be able to participate in practices leading up to the start of the season, so the team would have to find a way to mesh without any reps together if they traded for Griffin.
It took a long time for the Lakers to be healthy and play well together last year, but it looked like they were starting to put it together. It's unclear if Howard will re-sign with the Lakers, but they can give him a huge contract and a chance at a championship.
What would the Lakers gain from acquiring Griffin?
The biggest positive would be that they would have a big man under contract through 2018. He fits coach M...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
