More on Blake Griffin Buyout?
The two teams have been pegged by rival teams as sellers. Sources tell me and The Athletic’s James Edwards III that the Pistons are expected to work toward a contract buyout with forward Blake Griffin, and sharpshooter Wayne Ellington is expected to receive interest from contending teams.
It'll be a buyout. This is a given. It'll be a buyout at some point. When they get to that stage, and he's a free agent, he's still a guy who is a really smart player, who has become a really great playmaker late in his career, a great passer out of the post and on the perimeter, who can still get by some guys, can knock down a jumper and has a little bit of range. So I think he can be a useful player—a rotation guy. But not a starter on a good team, likely a bench guy. And we can talk about possible destinations, but I think there are a few times that could use him.
Soon enough, Detroit will come to accept that and will more than likely buy the veteran forward out. If and when that becomes the case, Griffin's market is expected to flourish. According to Sports Illustrated's own Howard Beck, the Philadelphia 76ers are one of a handful of teams who could look into getting Griffin in a Sixers uniform on a minimum deal after a buyout.
“If Blake is bought out, there would be significant interest, but how much of a savings is Blake willing to take?” as an executive for a current Eastern Conference playoff team told HoopsHype. “He could provide a spark off of the bench. If he’s healthy, he could start if the team had a need, but he’s probably more of a rotation player right now.”
