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Clippers get Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw for Marcus Camby

Los Angeles Times staff writer Ben Bolch
By Ben Bolch and Kevin Baxter
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The Clippers on Tuesday acquired Portland guard Steve Blake and forward Travis Outlaw plus an undisclosed amount of cash in a trade for veteran forward Marcus Camby.

It’s unclear if the players will play for their new teams Tuesday night when the Clippers face Portland at the Rose Garden. Outlaw has not played since Nov. 14 because of a broken foot.

The Clippers also waived guard Ricky Davis.

Blake started 28 of the 51 games he had played for Portland this season, averaging 7.6 points and four assists. Outlaw was averaging 9.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in the 11 games he played before suffering his injury.

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For Portland, the 6-foot-11 Camby should provide a considerable upgrade over the aging Juwan Howard in their frontcourt. The Trail Blazers were desperate for help after centers Greg Oden and Joel Pryzbilla were lost for the season because of knee injuries. Camby is an elite shot blocker and rebounder averaging 7.7 points and 12.1 rebounds per game, the latter figure ranking second in the league. He was also averaging 1.9 blocks per game.

Camby, a 14-year veteran, said Monday before the Clippers departed for Portland that he ‘would love to finish my career here’ in Los Angeles rather than be traded to a playoff contender. The Trail Blazers (31-24) are in eighth place in the Western Conference, meaning they would be in the playoffs if they started today.

‘I know we don’t have the best record,’ Camby said of the Clippers. ‘I know we’re not where we want to be as a team. But my family loves the situation. My wife, my kids love the school system. But you can’t control it.’

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Even though the Clippers have lost eight of nine games to fall a season-worst 10 games under .500, Camby said the situation wasn’t as bad as it might seem.

‘I like our guys,’ he said. ‘I like our coaching staff. Players, we’re real close. We’re like distant brothers. So I would love to be here.’

-- Ben Bolch and Kevin Baxter

Sports Now
Ben Bolch

Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. He is serving his second stint as the UCLA beat writer, which seems fitting since he has covered almost every sports beat except hockey and horse racing. Bolch is also the author of the recently released book “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” He previously covered UCLA basketball from 2010-11 before going on to cover the NBA and the Clippers for five years. He happily traded in gobs of hotel points and airline miles to return to cover UCLA basketball and football in the summer of 2016. Bolch was once selected by NBA TV’s “The Starters” as the “Worst of the Week” after questioning their celebrity journalism-style questions at an NBA All-Star game and considers it one of his finer moments.

Kevin Baxter

Kevin Baxter writes about soccer and hockey for the Los Angeles Times. He has covered seven World Cups, four Olympic Games, six World Series and a Super Bowl and has contributed to three Pulitzer Prize-winning series at The Times and Miami Herald. An essay he wrote in fifth grade was voted best in the class. He has a cool dog.

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