New #Blake Griffin rumors have surfaced after the #Los Angeles Clippers traded Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets. The team remains intent on re-signing the All-Star power forward, but Griffin has decided to opt out of his current contract with the Clippers. This makes him a free agent who could sign with any other NBA team if the right offer comes along. Could the Clippers possibly survive losing Paul and Griffin in the same offseason?
Chris Paul forced a trade by the Clippers when he announced interest in signing with the Rockets as a free agent.
Now the team could be at risk of losing Blake Griffin as well, especially if he feels that the Clippers don't have a competitive roster. It's also possible that Griffin could want to stay and become the primary leader of the team, as there had been prior NBA rumors stating that he wasn't getting along with Paul as the floor leader.
Do other teams want to sign Blake Griffin?
The Boston Celtics have been a team mentioned quite a bit in Blake Griffin rumors, as Celtics team president Danny Ainge would like to sign the All-Star power forward. If the Celtics are unsuccessful in pulling off a Paul George trade, then that could increase the level of urgency that Ainge feels about signing Griffin. It would also make the situation much worse for the Clippers, as that could mean a hard-press by the Celtics in order to get a deal done quickly.
When Griffin officially opts out of his current deal, the Los Angeles Clippers can offer him a maximum contract extension at a higher pay rate than any other team in the NBA. That could be a huge selling point to the big man, especially if one of his motivating factors to opting out of the last deal was to get a significant pay raise.
Blake Griffin also has the numbers to back it up, as he could easily average 20 points and 10 rebounds per game with any franchise.
Are there other NBA teams looking to sign Blake Griffin?
In addition to the Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics wanting Blake Griffin, several new teams have emerged with a significant interest in the big man.
One of them is the Denver Nuggets, as the team is pressing hard to land a good power forward during the NBA offseason. There was a lot of interest from the Nuggets in Kevin Love, but now the team is getting linked to Griffin and Paul Millsap as well.
As for the teams that Griffin might have an interest in playing for, he has named the New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, and Toronto Raptors as franchises he might sign with. The Knicks could be an interesting move, as the team may have a lot of cap space to work with and the recent departure of Phil Jackson may make it more suitable for free agents to play in Madison Square Garden again. No matter what team he ends up signing with or getting traded to, there are going to be a lot of new Blake Griffin rumors surfacing until free agency opens on July 1.
