MIGHT NETS ADD BLAKE, TOO?
B’KLYN A FAVORITE TO LAND BIG MAN AFTER PISTONS RELEASE
Blake Griffin will be free to sign with the Nets or another interested NBA team after agreeing to a contract buyout with the Pistons.
The Nets are “believed to be [the] leaders” to add Griffin, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweeted, adding “rival teams with interest are expecting Griffin to choose [Brooklyn] as a title favorite for [a] chance to win a championship.”
The Lakers,
Heat, Warriors, Blazers, Celtics and Clippers — his former team — are among those that have also expressed interest, according to multiple reports.
The 31-year-old Griffin hasn’t played since Feb. 12. The Pistons attempted to trade him before the March 25 deadline, but they found no takers due to the remainder of his $36.6 million salary for this season and the $39 million he’s owed for 2021-22.
The Nets have won 10 of their last 11 games to enter the All-Star break with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference (24-13), a half-game behind the 76ers.
Kevin Durant has missed the past nine games with a hamstring injury, and coach Steve Nash mostly has employed a smaller lineup with 6-foot-4 Bruce Brown playing power forward.
Durant will sit out Sunday’s All-Star Game, but the Nets still will be represented by guards Kyrie Irving and James Harden.
After Griffin clears waivers on Sunday, the Nets could use their mid-level exception (around $5.6 million) to sign him as frontcourt depth behind Durant and DeAndre Jordan, a former teammate with the Clippers. Griffin also worked out with Durant over the summer in Los Angeles.
The Nets also have Jeff Green and Nicolas Claxton among their depth as bigs, so it’s unclear how a potential Griffin addition would impact the rotation and playing time since there isn’t room in a big-man rotation for Durant, Jordan, Griffin, Green and Claxton.
That said, Green has been out with a shoulder contusion, so perhaps the Nets believe Griffin affords them important insurance in the event Green needs to miss more time. Claxton has impressed recently, though he also has battled injuries. The Nets could also simply be looking to stockpile depth not only for injury protection, but also for COVID-19 protection.
Newly signed Tyler Cook and 2020 second-round pick Reggie Perry are the other bigs on the roster.
Griffin is averaging a career-low 12.3 points and 5.2 rebounds in 20 games this season. He was dealt by the Clippers to Detroit in 2018, during the first season of a five-year extension worth $171 million.