The Clippers Find A Sucker

Posted by Kevin Arnovitz The last time Quentin Richardson was a member of the Los Angeles Clippers, the Clips were a promising, young squad that included Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Bobby Simmons, and Chris Wilcox. Next week, Richardson will be shipped back to Los Angeles as nothing more than filler in a deal that will send Zach Randolph from the Clippers to Memphis. It's a seemingly inequitable trade -- the 20/10 guy in Randolph for a gimpy, marginal Richardson -- until you look beneath the surface: Zach Randolph and Quentin Richardson: Two ships passing in the night. (Ray Amati via NBAE/Getty Images) The player that matters most in this trade is neither Randolph nor Richardson, but the Clippers' #1 pick Blake Griffin. Randolph is a single-minded post scorer who likes to work on the right block -- precisely where Blake Griffin is slated to build his NBA career as a monstrous big man. For the Clippers, moving Randolph clears the way for Griffin, where he'll pl...