Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin sprained his left knee, while guard Chris Paul suffered a strained right hip flexor and jammed the middle finger on his right hand in the Clippers’ 92-80 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.
Blake Griffin, Chauncey Billups, Chris Paul
Griffin went down after a hard foul from Grizzlies center Marc Gasol with 1:31 remaining in the third quarter and the Clippers trailing 75-58. Griffin lay on the ground for a few moments, grasping his left knee while surrounded by his teammates, coaches and team trainers.
Paul jammed the middle finger on his right hand in the first quarter before straining his right hip flexor in the fourth quarter. Both players will be evaluated Thursday.
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Derek Fisher
The Thunder, Bulls and Heat are three teams that could end up signing Derek Fisher once he clears waivers.
Oklahoma City are looking to add point guard depth behind Russell Westbrook due to the season-ending injury to Eric Maynor. Fisher has interest in joining Chicago or Heat where he would be able to compete for a title.
The Clippers, according to sources, are not likely to pursue Fisher.
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JaVale McGee
The Clippers have acquired Nick Young from Washington in a three-way trade, according to a source.
Washington will acquire Nene, while JaVale McGee goes to the Nuggets.
Brian Cook and a pick will be sent out by the Clippers.
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Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin suffered a mild sprain of his left ankle and a sore left knee when Kris Humphries ran into him with 2:53 left in Wednesday’s game.
“I had a rebound and I guess he wanted to dive after it and took my legs out, rolled my ankle and rolled my knee,” said Griffin, who finished with 28 points and 17 rebounds.
“The knee is good, but the ankle might be a little bit swollen, But it won’t be anything that holds me back. I’ll get some treatment on it tomorrow and be ready to go.”
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Free agent swingman J.R. Smith currently lists on his Twitter page the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers as teams he is considering.
Jared Jeffries, Nate Robinson, Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith
However, the Knicks and Clippers appear to be the frontrunners to sign him, according to the source with knowledge of the talks.
Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said Wednesday that he has spoken to Smith recently and that the conversation went “very, very well.”
The Knicks remain the presumptive favorites to sign Smith because they can offer him a pro-rated share of their $2.5 million mini-midlevel exception and a player option for a second year. The Clippers, meanwhile, can offer him only the veteran’s minimum for the rest of this season.
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J.R. Smith
The Los Angeles Clippers are one of a handful of teams vying for free-agent guard J.R. Smith, who will be eligible to return to the NBA on Wednesday after his Chinese team’s season is finished, according to a source.
The Clippers were interested in Smith even before the season-ending injury to Chauncey Billups, believing they could use more offensive firepower off the bench.
That was going to be a harder sell to Smith, who is looking for a larger role. Now, they can offer Smith the opportunity to start.
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Chauncey Billups suffered a severe left Achilles injury Monday night, and there are concerns that a tear could mean the end of his season.
Chauncey Billups
“It felt like somebody kicked me, man,” Billups said after the game as he made his way to the team bus with crutches under both arms. “I don’t know if it’s torn, but I know it’s not good.”
Chris Paul fought back tears when asked to gauge Billups’ value to the team.
“I was backpedaling and tried to retreat and go back forward,” Billups said. “I couldn’t get up. I got up one time and I fell back down. At that point, I was just trying to get out of the game. I don’t know what it is. We’ll find out, man, tomorrow or the next day.”
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Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin left open the possibility of competing in this year’s dunk contest, just days after telling reporters he had no intention of defending his title.
“I haven’t been approached yet, so we’ll see what happens with that,” Griffin said. “We’ll see what they’re going to do, and I’ll guess I’ll make a decision.
“I’m not even really worried about it right now or thinking about it, to be honest.”
The slam-dunk contest will be held during All-Star weekend on Feb. 25 in Orlando.
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Kenyon Martin
Kenyon Martin has agreed to a deal with the Clippers. Martin is expected to sign for the full $2.5 million mini mid-level.
Martin spent part of the season playing in China, and could still have his Clippers debut delayed until the middle of this season as Chinese Basketball Association officials petition FIBA and the NBA to honor his signed agreement.
Martin had visited with several other contending teams before ultimately picking the Clippers.
“The Clippers are probably the best place for [Martin] to showcase himself for his next deal,” one rival front-office executive said. “He’s clearly the third-best [big man] without competition from anyone on their roster.”
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The Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks are pursuing free-agent forward Kenyon Martin, according to league sources.
Jack Nicholson, Kenyon Martin
Martin has spoken with executives from each of the clubs and is hoping to make his decision next week.
Martin signed a $2.6 million deal with Xinjiang during the lockout, but left the team in late December in hopes of returning to the NBA.
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