The article made it clear that Minnesota didn't entertain any discussions at all, so none of the other financial assets were discussed. It also didn't indicate when the discussions occurred.
This does mean that Blake Griffin is very much available, which has me a bit concerned about the Cavs or some other Eastern team acquiring him. Obviously asking for Towns means the Clippers value him very highly, but they are clearly open to moving him, and the longer that lingers the more appealing Love + BKN might be (and I do think that is an upgrade for the Cavs).
That they want to trade Griffin for an up-and-coming superstar still on his rookie deal does not mean he’s very much available. It means there are a handful of players they’d trade him for, and they’re willing to ask, because why not? If a report came out that said Ainge had offered Tatum to Minnesota for Towns, would that mean Tatum is very much available?
The Clippers will trade Griffin if they can get back another franchise talent, especially one who makes less money or is younger. But that’s not Kevin Love, it’s not Kyle Lowry, and it’s not Otto Porter. It’s not likely that they’d make a top Eastern Conference team better, unless the fit with Griffin was better than the franchise player they trade for, and ultimately that’s unlikely unless you think Griffin is a better fit in Toronto than DeRozan (which is about the only trade I could see happening if both sides were interested).
And any trade like this, should it occur, is much more likely to happen in the offseason.