The Boston Celtics have expressed interest in re-signing veteran forward Blake Griffin, but whether that interest is reciprocated remains to be seen, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
Griffin played his first season with the Celtics in 2022-23 after signing with the team just a couple of weeks before their season-opener. Over the course of the year, however, he averaged only 13.9 minutes per game for 4.1 points and 3.8 rebounds. Come the playoffs, he saw only six minutes of total action.
A former number one pick and six-time All-Star, Griffin's ability to impact an NBA game has been waning essentially since his time with the Detroit Pistons close to five years ago after an extended career with the Los Angeles Clippers. Last year's output, however, was as low as it has ever been, both in terms of minutes and productivity.
Clearly the days of the 34-year-old soaring over defenses for the rim-shattering dunks for which he was so renowned are done, but equally he would no doubt prefer to be playing more than 13 minutes and averaging more than four points per game. What's more, with the Celtics' signing of Kristaps Porzingis, the prospects of Griffin being given an increased role in the upcoming season relative to the last are not particularly good, so it's easy to see why he wouldn't necessarily be rushing back to the team.
However, there is, of course, a major allure to the Celtics which may supersede the importance of any sort of significant minutes at this point in his career. They will once again head into this season with an NBA title on their mind. For all his achievements, a championship is the one major piece of silverware missing from Blake Griffin's trophy cabinet, and with his career winding down, playing on a team with the potential to win one would likely be at the forefront of his mind.