By Vincent Bonsignore

WASHINGTON D.C. – As if Clippers point guard Eric Bledsoe doesn’t have enough on his hands trying to hold things down until Chris Paul returns from his knee injury – and that included playing all 24 minutes of the second half Sunday against the Celtics – now comes a report the Clippers have talked to the Celtics about a Bledsoe and Caron Butler trade for Kevin Garnett.

The timing of the report is odd considering Paul remains sidelined with a knee bruise, having missed eight straight games and 11 of the last 13, and Bledsoe is literally the only healthy point guard for the Clippers.

But with the trade deadline approaching Feb. 21, the Clippers in a bit of a tailspin and the Celtics contemplating blowing their roster up and going into full rebuild mold, it was almost inevitable.

Bledsoe insisted Monday before the Clippers played the Washington Wizards the trade talk is not interfering with his job focus.

“I’m just focused on the Washington Wizards,” Bledsoe said before Monday’s game in the nation’s capitol. “Just focused on the Wizards and trying to get back on a winning track.”

It was a clever way of downplaying the reports, but the reality is Bledsoe knows full well his name is out there in trade talks. To deal with it, he boils his focal point down to the most minimal level.

It’s all he can do.

“It’s what I can control,” Bledsoe said. “So I’ll focus on the Wizard’s and trying to get back on the winning track.”

Vincent.bonsignore@dailynews.com twitter.com@DailyNewsVinny