The Best of the Day: March 5th, 2021

On Friday, the Detroit Pistons and Blake Griffin officially agreed on a buyout for the former 6x All-Star. While Griffin surely isn’t the same All-Star caliber player he used to be, the former No.1 overall pick has evolved his game and become a threat from deep as he’s making 2.0 3PM per game this season.

Considering the lack of prominent players on expiring deals and household names looking for new teams, Griffin might be the most well-known player moved before the upcoming trade deadline. 

The buyout was really the only option Detroit had when they began sitting Griffin, and it helped DET save money, while providing the former No.1 pick with a chance to play for a contender. 

After spending most of his career with the Los Angeles Clippers, Griffin has yet to play in a Conference Finals and has publicly shared his interest in contending for a Championship. There are a lot of factors to consider, but with that being said, here are the prime destinations for Griffin after being bought out and on the free-agent market:

1. Miami Heat: Miami has had a problem at PF all season since Jae Crowder‘s departure and getting Griffin to buy into the ‘Heat Culture’ shouldn’t be much of an issue. They need scoring and spacing from that position and Griffin can provide both while complementing Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo‘s game well.
2. Dallas Mavericks: Luka–Kristaps-Griffin could be the new ‘Big 3’ in the West if Griffin gets back to his All-Star ways. He’s only 31 years old and might have been unmotivated playing in the Motor City but playing alongside the best teammate he’d ever play with as well as another monster in the post could get the best out of Blake.
3. Boston Celtics: No team seems more primed to make a big move before this trade deadline than Boston who’s equipped with that mega $30M trade exception from the Gordon Hayward sign-and-trade. If the Celtics can acquire Griffin while still keeping Tatum, Jaylen, Kemba, and Smart intact, they could be right next to Brooklyn as the favorites in the East.
4. Brooklyn Nets: The Nets are the reported favorites to sign Blake Griffin but this move really doesn’t make too much sense. Brooklyn NEEDS defense and Griffin lacks the explosiveness he used to have to consistently play NBA-caliber defense. Griffin would add a big name and some highlight plays to Brooklyn’s already potent offensive attack, but putting him on the court alongside KD, Harden, and Kyrie instead of someone that can make up for the trio’s lack of defensive competence might hurt them more than help them. 
5. Portland Trail Blazers: Portland has been impacted by injuries more than any other contender this year with two of their best three players (CJ McCollum & Jusuf Nurkic) missing over half the season up to this point. Griffin would provide insurance if they aren’t able to come back to full strength, and if they are, a closing lineup of them two, Damian Lillard, Carmelo Anthony, and Griffin would be LETHAL offensively but also struggle to get defensive stops like Brooklyn.

Breaking: Blake Griffin has agreed to a contract buyout with the Pistons and will become an unrestricted free agent, sources tell @wojespn. pic.twitter.com/SLEyXSa11j

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 5, 2021

Blake Griffin this season:

31.3 MPG
12.3 PPG (career-low)
36.5 FG% (2nd worst in NBA*)
31.5 3P% (2nd worst in NBA*)

He hasn’t dunked since 2019. pic.twitter.com/JbP6nHL4os

— StatMuse (@statmuse) March 5, 2021

Related: NBA Takeaways of the Day