Blake Griffin will forever go down as one of those “what if” storylines in NBA history. What if Griffin remained with the Los Angeles Clippers instead of being traded to the Detroit Pistons in 2018 and what if the former first overall pick could have stayed healthy?
Knee injuries derailed Griffin from having an illustrious career, but the six-time All-Star still managed to make the most of his prime years when available. Now, the 34-year-old is looking for what could end up being one last opportunity in the NBA.
Following the 2021-22 season, a year in which he played with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets, Griffin decided to sign a one-year deal with the Boston Celtics. He did not play much, but Griffin instantly became a voice and a leader in Boston's locker room. So many championship teams through the years have had veterans on their bench who act as an extension of the coaching staff and this is exactly the role he held with the Celtics.
“Dude, Boston is unbelievable,” Griffin recently stated on Barstool Sports' Fore Play Pod. “Living in Boston, playing in Boston was one of the best experiences. And I wasn’t even like — the fans are incredible, and just having a team that’s like so championship focused.”
While the Celtics do have two open roster spots that they have several candidates for, Griffin's future with the organization remains uncertain. Returning to Boston is certainly a possibility, as is the veteran earning a one-year deal with a different championship contender.
At this point, contending teams are not battling over Griffin, but those who do have open roster spots will be looking for a veteran leader on the end of their bench. This is why Griffin could wind up being a valuable addition for these three franchises outside of Boston.
Golden State Warriors
Ah yes, the Golden State Warriors. Several veterans nearing the end of their careers have played their final games with the Warriors through the years. For many of them, this final season ended with a championship.
Andrew Bogut, David Lee, Festus Ezeli, Zaza Pachulia, David West and Nemanja Bjelica are all big men who won titles with the Warriors right before they retired or left the NBA. Blake Griffin could very well end up being the latest frontcourt talent to add his name to this list, especially since this organization has made it clear that winning another title is their only priority.
Nobody thought it would be possible for the Warriors to win another title after finishing with the league's worst record in 2020, followed by missing the playoffs in 2021. Well, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green did it again in 2022 when they captured their fourth title since 2015, taking down the Celtics in six games.
At full strength with their three Hall of Famers, as well as Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney, Golden State still finds themselves as the team everyone is chasing. Losing in the Western Conference Semifinals this past year, the Warriors went out and made some adjustments to their roster in order to put themselves in a better championship position. Not only did they sign Dario Saric and Cory Joseph for extra depth, but they also traded Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards for 12-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul.
Already having a relationship with Paul from their days playing together on the Clippers, Griffin would immediately be comfortable with the Warriors. It is also worth mentioning that he would be a mentor for the young talents on this roster, a role held by Andre Iguodala in recent years.
The Warriors have two open roster spots and it is no secret that they would like to add another big man for some frontcourt depth. Griffin has always been a smart defender and he can still contribute in a small role here and there throughout the season. This is why he would be an ideal fit with Golden State.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers were the team that drafted Blake Griffin first overall in 2009. Including the 2009-10 season, which Griffin did not play in due to a fractured kneecap, he spent a total of eight and a half seasons in Los Angeles.
To this day, Griffin still finds himself as one of the best players in franchise history, as he ranks second in total points and field goals made, as well as third in total rebounds.
In his prime, Griffin was the face of the Clippers alongside Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan. He's obviously not the same high-flying talent he once was, but Los Angeles is looking to compete for their first title in team history. Outside of Ivica Zubac, this team does not have much frontcourt depth and they are always adding veteran leaders to the back-end of their roster.
Right now ahead of training camp, Los Angeles currently has 16 players under contract, with recent second-round pick Jason Preston owning a non-guaranteed contract. The Clippers would need to find a way to open up a roster spot if they were to bring Griffin back and it is not hard to believe this could happen, especially with James Harden being linked to L.A.
If the Clippers can pull off a trade to land Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers, they will definitely have at least one roster spot that they could utilize to sign Griffin. He would definitely be a fan-favorite once again and he knows what it takes to win in this league, which is why Griffin would be an ideal veteran leader for the Clippers to add.
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat find themselves in a similar boat as the Clippers in the sense that they are waiting for a trade involving a superstar to occur before they round out the rest of their roster. Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard wants to be traded and he wants to go to Miami in order to compete for a championship with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
At some point, it seems destined that the Heat and Blazers will come to terms on an agreement, but when this will ultimately happen will factor into when this organization can fill the remaining open spots on their roster.
Assuming Lillard lands in Miami, the Heat will not only have to add players utilizing the two open roster spots they currently have, but they could be tasked with adding more players if they end up trading two or three players for Portland's All-Star.
Christian Wood and Kelly Oubre Jr. would be two obvious choices for the Heat to sign to minimum contracts, if either player is willing to take such a deal, but Blake Griffin could also be an impactful talent for Miami given his experiences.
Much like how they signed Kevin Love after he was bought out of his contract in the middle of last season, Griffin could come to the Heat and instantly be a veteran leader. The Heat are a pretty experienced team and while they are coming off a season where they were the 8-seed in the Eastern Conference, making the NBA Finals was no fluke.
For years, the Heat have continued to establish themselves as true title contenders and we always tend to hear players raving about the culture they have built. Griffin fits the veteran mold Miami looks for in free agency and he would give them a little extra depth in the frontcourt in case Adebayo or someone else gets injured.
Udonis Haslem recently retired and his role as a voice of reason at the end of the bench is now open. Griffin, given the experiences he has had over the last 13 years would be valuable on and off the court for the Heat, especially as they look to make another championship push. The Heat have found a ton of success signing older veterans near the end of free agency and they could do so again this year with Griffin.
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