L.A. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is the latest to give his message to Blake Griffin after his team pulled off the sudden trade that sent their star forward to the Detroit Pistons. The billionaire took to his Twitter account to post a farewell message to Griffin and thank him for the years of service he gave the franchise.
Thanks so much to @blakegriffin32 for all he did for the @LAClippers He is an incredible player and an incredible person. He made our team into a real franchise and deserves a ton of credit. I wish him all the very very best
— Steve Ballmer (@Steven_Ballmer) January 30, 2018
The 28-year-old Oklahoma product spent his first seven seasons in the NBA with the Los Angeles team. He became a Slam Dunk Contest champion, a five-time All-Star, and emerged as one of the best power forwards in the game today. His move to The Motor City can be considered a shocker since his name was not frequently mentioned in trade discussions prior to the deal that sent him to Detroit.
During his tenure with his former team, Griffin saw postseason action in the past six years. Together with Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan, they formed their own “Big 3,” but failed to get past the second round of the playoffs after making it there twice. Only three years since their last trip to the Western Conference Semifinals, only Jordan remains with the Clippers after the superstar point guard was also traded during the past summer.
The Clippers now appear to be headed to rebuild mode especially if they pursue deals for DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams. Despite still being within striking distance for a playoff spot, Steve Ballmer and company may not see their current roster as a championship contender and may look to acquire more picks, expiring contracts and young assets to be part of their future plans.
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