Following the departure of Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets earlier in the week, the Los Angeles Clippers‘ attention has shifted towards keeping pending free agent Blake Griffin.

The loss of Griffin would put the Clippers in an even deeper hole of trying to remain relevant with their two All-Stars gone. According to Brad Turner of the LA Times, recently acquired point guard Patrick Beverley is hoping that the team is able to convince the 28-year-old to stay.

The Clippers will not be a title contending team with Griffin back and Paul gone, but the team could still compete for a playoff spot. The five-time All-Star would immediately become the team's unquestioned top scoring punch while maintaining stability in the frontcourt alongside DeAndre Jordan. In staying with the team, Griffin can sign a five-year deal worth $175 million.

This could very well sway Griffin away from exploring the plethora of options that will be available to him consisting of teams like the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Phoenix Suns, who can all offer him a four-year, $130 million contract. In fact, he is set to meet with the Suns on Saturday once the free agency period begins.

All of this may ultimately hinge on what Griffin desires most at this point of his career. If he's hoping to secure a five-year max contract, the Clippers are the only team that can offer him that deal worth $175 million. If he's looking to compete for an NBA title from the get-go, the Celtics look like they should be the preferred destination.

Meanwhile, the Suns, Thunder, and Heat all provide intriguing options for him to carve out his own lane with the teams while building a team that could contend down the road. It all depends on what he has in mind to accomplish over the next several seasons of his career.