SHAKE & BLAKE
Nets add Griffin to star-studded lineup for big title push
The Nets are adding even more star power to their already loaded roster.
Former Pistons All-Star forward Blake Griffin cleared free-agency waivers and has agreed to a deal with Brooklyn, ESPN is reporting, in yet another sign that the franchise will do whatever it takes to win a championship this year.
The 31-year-old Griffin will join current All-Star Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, along with former All-Star, close friend and one-time teammate DeAndre Jordan.
After trading away Jarrett Allen in the Harden deal, the Nets were thin up front. While it hasn’t impacted them yet — Brooklyn is 18-7 since making the deal and second-year forward Nic Claxton has been impressive of late — they clearly were in the market for depth at the forward spot.
Griffin will have to check his ego at the door. For the first time in his career, he may not be a starter, and will need to battle the likes of Jordan, Claxton, Jeff Green, and Bruce Brown for minutes.
Unlike Harden, who has been fantastic as a Net, it’s uncertain how much Griffin has left. The Nets, though, didn’t have to give up anything to give him a shot.
The six-time All-Star was bought out of his contract with the Pistons on Friday making him an unrestricted free agent by leaving over $13 million on the table. Immediately, rumors swirled that the frontcourt-needy Nets, along with the Warriors, Heat and Trail Blazers, were among the teams Griffin was interested in.
The Nets will have to make a move to fit Griffin on their roster, which is currently full. Players, such as Iman Shumpert and Andre Roberson, on 10-day contracts could be in danger.
The Pistons were looking to move Griffin, but they couldn’t find any takers for him, due to him still being owed $36.6 million this year and $39 million next year, according to ESPN. Griffin left the active roster on Feb. 15 as the Pistons wanted to free up playing time for their younger players.
“I’m sure he wants to win,” Harden said Sunday. “If he’s passed on money [to be a free agent], he wants to win and he wants to have an opportunity to play meaningful minutes, and I’m assuming that’s one of the reasons why he came. Obviously, we know the athletic and high-jumping Blake, but as of these last couple of years, he’s knocking down the 3-ball a little better, ball-handling is a lot better. He can be a great contributor to this team.”
The Nets won’t be getting the same Griffin who was such an electrifying talent in his earlier years in part due to multiple surgeries on his left knee. In 20 games with Detroit this year, he was averaging just 12.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists. He hasn’t had a single dunk this season with more than half of his field-goal attempts coming from beyond the 3-point line, where he is shooting 31.5 percent.
He’s not that far removed from being a star, though. In 2018-19, Griffin averaged 24.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in 75 games for the Pistons and was an All-NBA thirdteam selection. And now he’ll be surrounded by three of the most talented players in the league, giving him his best shot at winning a championship since coming into the league as the first-overall pick in the 2009 draft while lessening the need for him to be a big scorer considering the star power around him.