The NBA is a business, not just a sport. The trade rumors will reflect that, especially now. Players are traded like commodities with fluctuating market value. Speaking of market value, Blake Griffin has a lot of that.

Blake Griffin was recently involved in trade talks involving Carmelo Anthony, a perennial All-Star and franchise player from day one in the league. There was a violent reaction to that rumor, specifically Doc Rivers who called it "stupid."

It is certain that Doc Rivers was speaking from a basketball standpoint, and the Clippers brass, all the way to the ownership, supports his view. However, the reasons are not the same.

The Clippers have always claimed that they are a championship contender, and that's not entirely far-fetched. They have the arguably the league's best point guard and they have Blake Griffin. But are those enough to contend against Miami, Indiana or San Antonio?

Despite the much improved play of DeAndre Jordan, critics would often say 'No.'

From Rantsports:  "The Clippers are good for packing the arena, but the team is not a true championship contender. In a league of superstar-driven teams, the Clippers only possess one true star in Chris Paul. Paul is the unspoken leader of the team and is one of the best point guards in the league, but he cannot carry this team to a championship alone.

Griffin is good for a few highlight plays, but he will never lead a team to a championship. Should the Clippers trade Griffin to acquire pieces that will help the team win a championship?"

The question is 'should the Clippers trade Griffin.' The answer would be maybe. But for the Clippers management, the answer is a firm, resounding 'NO!'

From Bleacher Report: "(from an unnamed NBA executive)Would they be better with a Kevin Love or a LaMarcus Aldridge? Sure. Even David West might be a better fit.(than Blake Griffin). Sterling (Donald, Clippers owner) is not going to do anything with Blake because he's terrified they're going to say, 'See, you screwed it up again. Donald understands dunks and star power, not spacing the floor."

They also report that the Clippers never made a move on Aldridge when he was making a trade request last summer, and they never even bothered with Kevin Love. Love is a better player with an infinite number of skills, but he is a cerebral player, not athletic. You don't see him at the highlight reel, only at the top of the stats line. If Chris Paul was teamed with Kevin Love, there will not be this kind of discussion. Yet for all his talent, Love is not a marketing titan like Griffin because of his style of play and being in a small market team that has yet to make the playoffs. Chris Paul would definitely support a Love for Griffin trade, but he's just their best player. A businessman like Sterling needs a cash cow, and Griffin is a slam dunk for that.