Report: Nuggets engaged Clippers in Blake Griffin trade talks

Word has apparently gotten out that the Los Angeles Clippers are ready to start thinking about shopping power forward Blake Griffin.

The Clippers, already reported to be enticed by the possibility of swapping Griffin out for Kevin Durant, have engaged in Griffin-centric trade talks with the Denver Nuggets, NBA sources told Mitch Lawrence of Sporting News, although those talks don't seem to have gotten very far.

The Nuggets are in the midst of a mini-rebuild, but have already accumulated a unique and intriguing mix of young and veteran talent, from the rejuvenated Danilo Gallinari to the ascendant Will Barton to the precociously talented Nikola Jokic to the promising (if raw) Emmanuel Mudiay.

Whether they'd be willing to put an attractive package together to land an injured star who can bolt in free agency after the 2016-17 season - and who's currently being investigated by the NBA for the physical altercation that left him with a broken hand - is another matter.

Griffin, who has sat out the past 19 games and is expected to be out another three-to-five weeks, is averaging 23.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and five assists. The Clippers have gone 15-4 without him.