NBA Props: Could Blake Griffin Reunite With the Clippers?

When his playing career is over with, the vast majority of people will likely remember Blake Griffin as a Clipper. And rightfully so. However, the former All-Star has spent the past four seasons in Detroit. Unfortunately, Griffin’s tenure with the Pistons has lacked many memorable moments.

On Monday, we learned that Griffin’s time in the Motor City is primed to come to an end. The Pistons have reportedly decided to keep Griffin sidelined until they figure out whether to trade him or buy him out of the rest of his deal. Griffin is in the last guaranteed year of a contract he signed with the Clips several years ago. However, he owns a player option for next season worth nearly $39 million, which complicates matters.

Griffin is on the books for $36.5 million this season, which will make it difficult for the Pistons to find a viable trade partner. There likely aren’t many teams out there with the willingness to fork over nearly $37 million in contracts for a player that seems to be in decline.

Frankly, the money makes a Griffin trade exceedingly unlikely. However, Griffin will have no shortage of suitors if the Pistons simply decide to buy him out and make him a free agent. Online betting sites are offering fresh NBA betting odds on Griffin’s next stop. The list of landing spots is a long one, so let’s dive right in.

Where Will Blake Griffin Land?

• Miami Heat (+350)
• Oklahoma City Thunder (+400)
• Boston Celtics (+500)
• Los Angeles Lakers (+600)
• Charlotte Hornets (+600)
• Portland Trail Blazers (+750)
• Chicago Bulls (+1100)
• Philadelphia 76ers (+1200)
• Golden State Warriors (+1200)
• Brooklyn Nets (+1200)
• Washington Wizards (+1400)
• Houston Rockets (+1400)
• Los Angeles Clippers (+1400)

Griffin has dealt with injuries over his past few years with the Pistons, but he’s been largely healthy so far in 2020-21. Through 20 games, the former Slam Dunk champion has posted modest averages of 12.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in just over 31 minutes per game.

The Pistons are clearly rebuilding. The team paid Jerami Grant to come in and become their No. 1 offensive option this past offseason. The deal was largely mocked at the time, but Grant has come in and exceeded expectations right away. The additions of Grant, Mason Plumlee, and rookie Saddiq Bey have made Griffin expendable in Detroit.

Griffin is now 31, and the clock is ticking. He has still shown the ability to create shots for himself and serve as an offensive hub despite a lesser role this season with the Pistons. His days of being an offensive star are in the rearview mirror, but that playmaking ability can be useful for a contender. Where will Griffin land if he’s traded or bought out?

Miami Heat (+350)

The Heat made a surprising run to the Finals last season. Many believed Miamis bubble run was flukey, but the Heat have some building blocks here. Jimmy Butler is in the midst of another outstanding campaign, while Bam Adebayo is one of the most promising young bigs in the game.

Miami has enough in dead salary to trade for Griffin if they want. The trio of Andre Iguodala, Meyers Leonard, and Kelly Olynyk works moneywise. Iguodala’s past his prime himself, while Griffin would likely be an upgrade over Olynyk. Miami could make this deal while still having enough frontcourt depth to cover themselves in the event Griffin comes down with an injury at some point.

We know Pat Riley is happy to be aggressive. The Pistons surely know the trade market for Griffin will be a quiet one, so if Miami comes calling with a few draft assets in addition to the matching salary, that may well be enough to get Detroit to pull the trigger.

Oklahoma City Thunder (+400)

If he goes from Detroit to Oklahoma City, Griffin will be going from one rebuilding team to another. However, the Thunder happen to play in his home state. Griffin grew up in Oklahoma City and played collegiately for the Sooners. His fondness for his hometown has never been a secret.

What’s in it for the Thunder, though? Other than possibly selling a few more tickets by bringing in the hometown hero, I’m not sure what actual basketball-related use OKC has for the 31-year-old. The Thunder do have some big salaries they can use in a hypothetical trade, but I doubt the Pistons are dying to get their hands on expensive veterans like Al Horford or Trevor Ariza.

Oklahoma City is only mentioned because of the personal link with Griffin. From a basketball perspective, there is no fit here.

Boston Celtics (+500)

The Celtics have three different trade exceptions available, but none of them is large enough for Griffin. Boston isn’t trading Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, or Marcus Smart, so I don’t see how Boston can cobble together enough salary to make a trade work.

So, the Celtics’ hopes for luring Griffin lie in the potential buyout market.

Danny Ainge may well need to make a move in order to help his ailing ballclub, but how does Griffin get minutes for the Celtics?

He would theoretically be an upgrade over Daniel Theis at power forward, but Boston wouldn’t be able to put Griffin to good use. Tatum, Walker, and Brown dominate the ball, which means Griffin would probably spend a lot of time standing in the corner on offense.

Los Angeles Lakers (+600)

If Griffin wants to stick it to his former team, he could choose to latch on with the reigning champs. Anthony Davis will be sidelined until after the All-Star break, which means the Lakers to have some frontcourt minutes available right now. Griffin wouldn’t be nearly as impactful on either side of the ball as AD, of course, but the Lakers could do worse if they’re looking for a quick fix.

Griffin will be relegated to a bench role once Davis returns, and playing time could be hard to come by. Kyle Kuzma is in the midst of a career year, while Montrezl Harrell is already occupying the role of offensive spark plug off the bench. Joining the Lakers would give Griffin easy access to his first-career title, but the fit is questionable.

Charlotte Hornets (+600)

I’ll be honest: I have no idea why the Hornets have such favorable odds. They were aggressive this past summer when they signed Gordon Hayward to a massive deal, but the addition of Hayward means Charlotte doesn’t have much extra playing time to go around. Hayward and PJ Washington are entrenched as the starting forwards for this team moving forward.

Griffin could potentially moonlight as a backup center behind Cody Zeller, but this is another rebuilding team. I can’t imagine Charlotte wanting to trade someone like Terry Rozier for Griffin, and I doubt Griffin will be eyeing the Hornets if he hits the buyout market. This one makes no sense.

Portland Trail Blazers (+750)

We know the Blazers aren’t afraid of reclamation projects. They were willing to give Carmelo Anthony a shot when nobody else would last season. So far, that’s worked out pretty well for both sides. The Blazers have also put Enes Kanter to good use, which hasn’t been an easy task for many teams over the years.

The Blazers are currently playing without CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic, which has left them pretty thin. Damian Lillard has shouldered a massive load, but the forward minutes have been in flux. Robert Covington and Derrick Jones Jr. are fairly useless offensively. Griffin would be an immediate upgrade over both, even if he isn’t the best defender at this stage of his career.

Adding Griffin would also give the Blazers more size, which should come in handy come playoff time when they may have to deal with teams like the Lakers, Nuggets, or Jazz out West. Beyond Nurkic and Kanter, the Blazers’ current roster is full of guys listed at 6’7″ or under. At +750, Portland makes a lot of sense.

Chicago Bulls (+1100)

The Bulls have dealt with a rash of injuries to the frontcourt. Lauri Markkanen, Otto Porter Jr., and Wendell Carter Jr. have all missed time already. Zach LaVine and Coby White have fared well as the Bulls’ offensive focal points, but Chicago could use some reinforcements.

The problem is that Griffin likely only lands in the Windy City if the Bulls swing a trade for him. Chicago isn’t winning a title any time soon, so I seriously doubt Griffin would have interest in signing here as a free agent. Porter’s massive contract would make it pretty easy for the Bulls to match the salaries, and it helps that Porter’s deal expires after this season.

It just seems like a pointless move for the Bulls to make, though. Chicago likely wants to make the playoffs, but adding Griffin likely doesn’t suddenly make them a contender.

Philadelphia 76ers (+1200)

Griffin landing in Philadelphia would be ironic considering he would be teaming up with Tobias Harris. Harris was the headliner that went from Detroit to LA in the deal that sent Griffin to the Pistons just a couple of years ago. He would also be reunited with Doc Rivers. Philly always has to worry about the potential for injury with Joel Embiid, but this team is well-stocked at the backup center spot. Dwight Howard and Tony Bradley are capable fill-ins should Embiid go down.

The Sixers currently have the best record in the Eastern Conference, so I doubt Daryl Morey is actively looking to shake up the roster at this point. Griffin could be a nice addition via the buyout market, but playing time could be hard to come by. Between Embiid and Harris, the Sixers’ frontcourt minutes are largely spoken for.

Golden State Warriors (+1200)

Draymond Green has dealt with no shortage of injuries over the past couple of years, but he is still entrenched as Golden State’s do-it-all starting power forward. James Wiseman will reclaim his spot as the team’s starting center once he returns shortly, as well.

The Warriors are in the hunt for a playoff spot this season, but offense isn’t much of a problem for this team. Kelly Oubre has rebounded nicely following a disastrous start to the campaign. Andrew Wiggins has settled into a solid role as a secondary scoring threat behind Steph Curry. Griffin could add some juice to the Dubs’ second unit, but there are more logical landing spots for Blake at this point.

Brooklyn Nets (+1200)

The Nets want to win a title as soon as they possibly can. You don’t make a franchise-altering trade for James Harden if you aren’t attempting to win at all costs. Griffin would add even more firepower to Brooklyn, but he wouldn’t fix their main problem. The Nets are one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA. Adding a 31-year-old Blake Griffin with knee trouble won’t do much to patch things up on that end.

Brooklyn happens to have a disabled player exception worth $5.7 million that they can potentially use to tempt Griffin if he does hit the buyout market. That gives the Nets an advantage over other prospective suitors, and the opportunity to win in Brooklyn should be a tempting one. Griffin would also be reunited with old friend DeAndre Jordan, which can’t hurt his potential interest.

Washington Wizards (+1400)

The Wizards are a sinking ship going nowhere fast. No. Just no.

Houston Rockets (+1400)

The Rockets have assembled an eclectic cast of characters this season. Between John Wall, Victor Oladipo, and DeMarcus Cousins, Houston is home to no shortage of ex-All-Stars. The Rockets may think they can make a playoff run this season, but the Harden trade signaled the fact that this team is headed for a rebuild over the next few years. Griffin doesn’t make any sense for Houston.

Los Angeles Clippers (+1400)

The Clippers are a logical destination for Griffin. LAC has made good use of Hornets castoff Nicolas Batum this season. The skillset of Batum’s overlaps quite a bit with Griffin’s, though, which could lead to a glut in Ty Lue’s frontcourt rotation.

It would be an awesome story if Griffin returned to LA and helped the Clippers win a title for the first time in franchise history. I won’t completely discount the possibility of a reunion, even if the playing time in LA could be dicey. You can do worse at +1400.

What’s the Best Bet?

The list of suitors for Blake Griffin should be longer than the one for his former teammate, Andre Drummond. However, it’s still tough to peg where exactly he’ll land.

There is a lot of momentum for Brooklyn here, and rightfully so. Griffin would serve as a rotational upgrade over guys like Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Jeff Green, and he would give Steve Nash a small-ball center option with which to pivot away from Jordan. The Nets at +1200 make an awful lot of sense.

The Heat (+350), Trail Blazers (+750), and Clippers (+1400) are other logical destinations for Griffin. Any of those four are legitimately good betting options, especially given the advantageous odds.