Clippers Forward Blake Griffin Opts Out Of Deal; Will Test NBA Free Agency
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Clippers are a team in the Western Conference that could look completely different next season. Although the team was able to bring in NBA legend Jerry West as a consultant, the Clippers are in danger of losing three of their best players in J.J. Redick, Chris Paul, and Blake Griffin.
The one superstar that looks as if he is seriously considering leaving Los Angeles is Griffin. The veteran forward is still a marketable star and relatively young at 28. He’ll have a few teams going after him as he will now officially be an unrestricted free agent as of July 1, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical:
As expected, Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin, a five-time All-Star forward, has exercised the early termination option on his contract and will become an unrestricted free agent, league sources told The Vertical.
Griffin, who ended another season in the playoffs due to injury, will test the open market and will have his fair share of suitors. The five-time NBA All-Star will be a complimentary piece for a team trying to contend for a championship or at the very least be a playoff contender.
Over the course of his potential last season in Los Angeles, Griffin was linked to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Griffin played for Oklahoma in college and is from there making it an ideal fit, especially with the team looking for another star to play alongside MVP candidate Russell Westbrook.
It appears that quite a few intriguing options will be out there for Griffin with the following teams said to be potential destinations, via Wojnarowski:
Griffin, 28, is a cornerstone player for the Clippers, a priority for them to re-sign this summer. Boston, Houston and Miami are among multiple possible free-agent destinations for Griffin, who’ll also consider returning to the Clippers.
It’ll be interesting to see how things pan out for Griffin in Los Angeles and whether he’d determined to leave to the team and Chris Paul’s side for greener pastures.
