The Blake Griffin era in Detroit has come to an end. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Griffin and the Pistons have come to terms on a buyout on the remainder of his contract, and as a result, the former All-Star forward will immediately hit the pool of unrestricted free agents.
Six-time All-Star forward Blake Griffin has agreed to a contract buyout with the Detroit Pistons and will become an unrestricted free agent, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 5, 2021
The good news for Griffin is that despite the fact that he has looked like a shell of his former self this season, Wojnarowski reports that a number of teams with title aspirations have their eyes on him as a potential addition in the free agent market. Griffin, however, is expected to take some time to figure things out before joining a new team.
Griffin has interest from many of the NBA’s top playoff contenders and is expected to make a decision on his next team after conversations with prospective teams in the near future, sources said. https://t.co/8Qpbbp4ggE
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 5, 2021
Marc Stein of the New York Times added some of the teams expected to have some interest, which includes Griffin’s old franchise in the City of Angels.
The Lakers, Clippers, Nets, Heat and Warriors are among the teams that have expressed interest in Blake Griffin when he becomes an unrestricted free agent, league sources say
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 5, 2021
Injuries have caught up with Griffin in a big way, as he’s lacked the bounciness that was such a hallmark of his game during his prime. The soon-to-be 32-year-old power forward has averaged 12.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists a night this season while shooting 36.5 percent from the field and 31.5 percent from three. He last took the floor on Feb. 12 as his representatives and the Pistons tried to figure out a way to send him elsewhere amid the squad’s youth movement. A major issue was the amount of money he was owed — per Wojnarowski, Griffin was owed a remaining $36.6 million this season and $39 million in 2021-2022.
It is a bit tough to imagine a scenario where Griffin is able to go back to being the player that captivated fans in Los Angeles and during his early days in Detroit, but perhaps there’s a little something left in the tank and he can give a contender some help as the second half of the regular season and the postseason roll around.