Blake Griffin trade fallout: Doc Rivers says Clippers aren't 'trading everybody away'

Rivers is adamant that the Clippers aren't tanking after trading Griffin to the Pistons

When an NBA team trades its best player, it's usually a signal that the franchise is bottoming out -- looking for a fresh start by gutting the roster and starting from scratch with (hopefully) high draft picks.

This is known in most circles as tanking, and it's been a solid strategy in the NBA for years, most notably and dutifully executed by the most recent iteration of the Philadelphia 76ers.

When the Los Angeles Clippers traded Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons on Monday, most took it as a sign that the Clippers were going down a similar road. Word quickly trickled out that DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams were also being shopped, a sure sign that the Clippers were ready to start playing for lottery balls.

But on Tuesday, Doc Rivers said not so fast.

"We make this trade and then everyone thinks we're just trading everybody away. That's not true," Rivers said, via Jovan Buha of ESPN. "But that's what's out there. Sometimes you can't control the narrative. You just can control your job, and that's what I have to do.

"Sometimes there's complete rebuilds. We're not doing that. Sometimes you're juggling and trying to create money and still trying to stay relevant and win. I think that's us right now."

Rivers' sentiment echoes a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, which said that the Clippers are trying to revamp their roster while remaining competitive -- generally considered something of a no man's land in the NBA.

The haul they received for Griffin makes the decision not to tank much easier. A lineup of Milos Teodosic, Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris, Danilo Gallinari and DeAndre Jordan, with super-sub Lou Williams coming off the bench, is certainly capable of competing for a playoff spot in the West -- some may say the roster is even better than the one they had with Griffin. They'll have decisions to make about Bradley and Jordan this offseason (if they decide not to trade them), but they'll also have Patrick Beverley coming back from injury and a whole lot of cap room if Jordan walks.

The Clippers reportedly think they have a shot at LeBron James if he opts out of his deal, which may be far-fetched. But if they can manage to land a solid piece or two over the summer, they could be right back in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race next season.