Blake Griffin is a free agent no more as the six-time All-Star officially signs with the Brooklyn Nets for the rest of the 2020-2021 season, joining the likes of James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant.
The development was confirmed by Griffin’s agent Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports – via ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski – after days of speculation. Last week, there was some considerable interest from the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, and Portland Trailblazers. The Nets eventually agreed to pay the remaining US$56.6 million of his contract with the Detroit Pistons in a buyout.
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As noted by Bleacher Report, while Blake Griffin isn’t exactly the “high-flying dunk artist” he once was after a decade-plus in the game and numerous injuries, the NBA veteran could still provide ample utility to the Brooklyn Nets frontcourt. This season, the forward has managed to average 2.3 points on 36.5% shooting, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 31.3 minutes per game for the Pistons.
“The 31-year-old will play a complementary role in Brooklyn to the Big Three and should find himself with plenty of opportunities to excel,” writes Paul Kasabian.
“He’s likely best served coming off the bench and adding some scoring punch to a second unit that could use another frontcourt player.”
It’s still relatively early days, but given their current roster and momentum, it would appear the Nets have a pretty strong chance of making their first NBA Finals appearance since 2003.
