Blake Griffin Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Blake Griffin Announces Retirement

April 16th, 2024 at 11:09am CST by Luke Adams

Former No. 1 overall pick Blake Griffin, who spent 14 seasons in the NBA, has announced his retirement as a player. Griffin published a post on Instagram revealing his decision.

“I never really envisioned myself as the guy who would have a ‘letter to basketball’ retirement announcement,” Griffin wrote. “And I’m still not going to be that guy. But as I reflected on my career, the one feeling I kept coming back to and the one thing I wanted to express was thankfulness.

“I’m thankful for every single moment — not just the good ones: the wins, the awards, the dunks, and the memorable times spent with family, friends, fans, teammates, and coaches.. I could continue on about the people in my life who have contributed immensely to my career, but in this short non-letter, I have to acknowledge my parents, Tommy and Gail, and my brother, Taylor, for their unconditional support and guidance. Lastly, my agent Sam Goldfeder, who has been a steadfast voice of reason and my wartime consigliere — thank you.

“I am equally thankful for the not-so-good-moments: the losses, the injuries, the wayyyy too many surgeries, the lessons, the heartbreaks, and it wouldn’t be (a) sports retirement letter without acknowledging the ‘haters.’ All of these experiences made my 14 years in the league truly unforgettable, and I can’t help but to just feel thankful.

“The game of basketball has given me so much in this life, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Last but certainly not least, here comes the obligatory ‘I’m excited for my next chapter’ part: just kidding, I’m done.”

Selected by the Clippers with the first overall pick in the 2009 draft after being named the national college player of the year at Oklahoma, Griffin missed his first NBA season due to a knee injury. However, he exploded onto the scene in 2010/11, averaging 22.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game en route to an All-Star berth, a Slam Dunk Contest title, and a Rookie of the Year award.

Griffin earned four more All-Star nods as a member of the “Lob City” Clippers teams that enjoyed several playoff appearances but could never break through to advance further than the Western Conference Semifinals.

After signing a five-year contract with the Clippers in 2017, Griffin was traded just six months later to Detroit, where he spent the next three years. He made his sixth and final All-Star team for the Pistons in 2019, but injuries sapped him off his explosiveness during the home stretch of his career. He was bought out by the Pistons in 2021 and joined the Nets for the next season-and-a-half before spending the 2022/23 season in Boston.

Celtics players tried to recruit Griffin to join this season’s version of the team, but the 35-year-old forward/center opted to sit out to spend more time with his family. Now he has decided to hang up his sneakers for good.

For his career, Griffin averaged 19.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, and 4.0 APG in 765 total regular season contests (31.9 MPG). In addition to his Rookie of the Year award and six All-Star appearances, he made the All-NBA Second Team three teams and the Third Team twice.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Griffin, Sixers, Trent, Raptors

February 27th, 2024 at 10:48am CST by Luke Adams

After appearing in 41 games for the Celtics last season, Blake Griffin hasn’t been on an NBA roster at all in 2023/24. However, if it were up to the Celtics’ players, Griffin would still be in Boston.

As Brian Robb of MassLive.com writes, guards Derrick White and Payton Pritchard said during an appearance on the Pardon My Take podcast that several Celtics players tried to get Griffin to sign with the team earlier in the ’23/24 league year.

“I think the whole team has been begging him to,” White said.

“I texted him actually a week ago or two jokingly being like, ‘Coming back for one last ride?'” Pritchard added. “He says he’s enjoying his life.”

According to Robb, multiple Celtics players reached out to Griffin during the team’s West Coast road trip in December to ask about a possible return. However, the six-time All-Star has opted to sit out this season to spend more time with his family, Robb writes.

“He told me at the end of last year that his family was the most important thing and I stopped talking to him about it,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said when asked on Monday about White’s and Pritchard’s comments about Griffin (Twitter link via Jared Weiss of The Athletic).

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

The Celtics have held the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference for all but six days this season and appear highly likely to keep the top spot the rest of the way, according to Jay King of The Athletic, who explores whether any conference rivals could realistically catch Boston. The Celtics have a 7.5-game lead on the No. 2 Cavaliers, with just 25 games left to play.
With Joel Embiid unavailable and players in and out of the rotation this month due to injuries and trade-deadline moves, the Sixers have struggled to find a rhythm, losing nine of their past 13 games, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). “There’s a lot of different combinations of guys,” head coach Nick Nurse said, “and we’re trying to make sure when we’re doing stuff that we can figure it out and get more on the same page. It’s just a bit disjointed at times when it gets tough.”
While Gary Trent Jr.‘s 41.4% three-point percentage is excellent, his season as a whole has still felt like a bit of a letdown, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic, who considers whether or not that assessment is fair and whether the Raptors will re-sign Trent, who is a free agent this summer. A multiyear offer worth somewhere between the mid-level exception and $20MM annually might be reasonable for the 25-year-old, Koreen suggests.
Zulfi Sheikh of Sportsnet.ca identifies six storylines to watch for the Raptors down the stretch this season, including whether the team actually has a shot at a play-in berth and RJ Barrett‘s progress in his first few months with his new team.

Celtics Notes: Pritchard, Kornet, Holiday, Luxury Tax

October 2nd, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics have started extension talks with Payton Pritchard, sources tell Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Although Pritchard’s representatives are talking to the front office about a long-term deal, there’s still “a gap to close” before an agreement can be finalized, Weiss adds.

The 25-year-old guard figures to have a much larger role in a revamped Boston backcourt after offseason trades that sent out Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon and brought in Jrue Holiday. Playing time has been an issue for Pritchard, who expressed a desire to be traded in February because he wasn’t seeing consistent minutes.

That shouldn’t be a problem anymore, as Pritchard’s smooth shooting stroke makes him a welcome backcourt partner for Holiday or Derrick White. Pritchard has connected at 40% from three-point range during his three seasons in Boston.

There’s more on the Celtics:

Coach Joe Mazzulla was preparing to utilize more double-big lineups after Boston traded for Kristaps Porzingis, but those plans have changed with Robert Williams being sent to Portland in the Holiday deal, notes Jay King of The Athletic. Luke Kornet should have a larger role with Williams gone and may see time next to Porzingis, but Mazzulla will likely rely on smaller lineups with the current roster. The Celtics are bringing in Wenyen Gabriel and could look to add more frontcourt help, with King noting that Bismack Biyombo, Dewayne Dedmon and Gorgui Dieng are all free agents, along with Blake Griffin, whom president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said the team would like to bring back if he doesn’t retire.
The Celtics had to consider Holiday’s next contract when deciding to acquire him, per Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype. The 33-year-old guard will become eligible for an extension on February 22, but he’ll only be able to add two more years to his current deal, if he declines his $39.4MM option for 2024/25. If he waits until six months after the trade date, he can add four years and will have the choice of extending at a lower starting salary than his player option under changes made in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Gozlan points out that Holiday can also pick up the option and extend on a “team-friendly” deal similar to what Porzingis did.
Boston’s team salary will reach $222.6MM once the team signs a 14th player, increasing its tax penalty by $14.4MM for this season, Gozlan adds. With Jaylen Brown‘s super-max deal taking effect next year, team payroll is set to rise into the $260MM range. That figure could increase to $350MM to $400MM in 2025/26, Gozlan notes, when Jayson Tatum‘s expected super-max takes effect, if the club extends Holiday and White.
The Celtics have options to improve their roster even after sending two first-round picks to Portland to acquire Holiday, per Brian Robb of MassLive. Boston still has first-rounders to trade in 2024, 2026 and 2031, along with eight second-round picks through 2030. The team also has a $6.2MM TPE from the Grant Williams trade.

Celtics Notes: Griffin, Williams, Brogdon, Brown, Tatum

September 30th, 2023 at 7:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics have interest in re-signing Blake Griffin, but the 34-year-old big man is considering retirement, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Speaking at a youth basketball camp this week, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said the organization was thrilled with Griffin’s contributions last season. Even though he only played in 41 games, Griffin made an impact as a veteran leader.

“I’m not blowing smoke, it was as good as it gets,” Stevens said. “He was unbelievable when he played and even better when he didn’t. He has a fan for life from everybody in our organization. You know, if he decides to keep playing, he wants to come back out East, he knows we’re a phone call away.”

Stevens also told the campers it wasn’t easy to convince Griffin to join the team last fall. The Celtics were looking for someone to fill in for center Robert Williams, who missed the early part of the season with an injury, and Stevens was candid about the potential lack of playing time once he returned. Griffin initially turned down the offer, but agreed when Stevens made a second phone call.

Stevens touched on a few more topics, according to Washburn:

The Celtics consider this a pivotal season for Williams, who has been bothered by injuries throughout his career. Even though Boston can turn to Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet when Williams is unavailable, Stevens believes they’re “a different team” with Williams on the court. “He’s not an old guy, but he’s not a rookie anymore,” Stevens said. “He’s six years in now and this is the time where guys make leaps and make jumps. He showed his defensive versatility a couple of years ago. His offensive threat at the rim and his rebounding is as good as it gets, and the keys for him are to be available as much as possible and to be able play as long as spurts as possible.”
Stevens confirmed that he and other Celtics officials talked to Malcolm Brogdon after he was nearly sent to the Clippers in the Porzingis trade, just like they had discussions with Jaylen Brown after he was rumored to be part of an offer for Kevin Durant last summer. “Some stuff has been talked about with the Brogdon stuff, you just have conversations about it,” Stevens said. “You understand why a person would feel angry about that. But at the same time, that’s why you have those conversations. You work together. Obviously, in almost all scenarios, you’re talking about unbelievable players on all sides. That’s the other part of the recognition being discussed.”
Stevens also acknowledged the need for Brown and Jayson Tatum to take over as team leaders after Marcus Smart was traded to Memphis. “I think Marcus is a good leader and we have a lot of other good leaders in that locker room, too,” Stevens said. “Everybody does it through their own personality and their own way. We talked about it several times three, four, five years ago, is one of the keys to our whole program will be when Jaylen and Jayson get to 25, 26 and 27, being two of the best leaders in the league, and they’re there. I think they will without question (lead) and they were already.”

Celtics Notes: Roster Openings, Griffin, Porzingis, Tatum

September 5th, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

After signing Svi Mykhailiuk, the Celtics have 14 players on standard contracts (11 fully guaranteed) and a pair on two-way deals, meaning they still have room for at least one more player on their projected 15-man roster, as well as another two-way player.

However, a league source tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe that Boston is unlikely to make a move to fill either opening right away. According to Himmelsbach’s source, the team may wait to see which players become available during the preseason when other NBA clubs make cuts.

Targeting one more frontcourt player is a possibility, but the Celtics may also simply look to add a “good developmental piece,” no matter what position that player plays, per Himmelsbach.

Here’s more from Himmelsbach on the Celtics:

Boston would likely welcome back Blake Griffin, who was a strong locker room presence last season. However, a reunion doesn’t appear likely at this point as Griffin weighs his future, that same source tells Himmelsbach.
It has been nearly three weeks since the Celtics announced a four-to-six week rehab program for Kristaps Porzingis (plantar fasciitis). The club remains confident that he’ll be ready to go for training camp, according to Himmelsbach, who adds that Boston’s medical staff has been receiving daily updates on Porzingis’ progress and there’s been no indication he’s experienced any setbacks.
Jayson Tatum has spent the last few weeks working out in Los Angeles and has trained with former Celtics star Paul Pierce on “more than one occasion,” writes Himmelsbach.

Celtics Notes: Backup Center, Mykhailiuk, Brogdon, Free Agents

September 2nd, 2023 at 5:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics completed their search for another wing by signing Svi Mykhailiuk this week, so the next priority should be finding a capable big man to provide depth in the frontcourt, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Boston now has 14 players with standard contracts, one short of the regular season roster limit. Only 11 of those are guaranteed, although Mykhailiuk could become the 12th once the details of his new deal are reported.

Robert Williams and Al Horford will handle most of the minutes at center, but Williams’ injury history and Horford’s age create a need for a quality backup at the position. Washburn suggests Kristaps Porzingis could see some time in the middle, but he’s more effective at power forward and is more comfortable playing away from the basket. Luke Kornet will be in camp, but his contract is non-guaranteed until the league-wide guarantee date of January 10.

Washburn identifies Bismack Biyombo and Dewayne Dedmon as available free agents, but states that neither is significantly better than Blake Griffin, who played for the Celtics last season and has expressed an interest in returning. Washburn also mentions former All-Stars Dwight Howard and DeMarcus Cousins, but says the organization doesn’t want to risk team chemistry by bringing in someone who’s unhappy with his role.

There’s more on the Celtics:

Mykhailiuk’s success against Boston may have sparked the organization’s interest, even though he wasn’t among the players who held workouts last month. Playing for the Knicks and Hornets last season, the 26-year-old swingman hit 24 three-pointers against the Celtics, the most of any opponent, according to Luke Scotchie of The Boston Globe. Overall, Mykhailiuk enjoyed the best shooting season of his career from long distance, connecting at 42.4% and making 1.3 per game.
There has been little news about Malcolm Brogdon since he was nearly sent to the Clippers in June in a deal for Porzingis, Brian Robb of MassLive notes in a mailbag column. The team hasn’t provided any updates on Brogdon’s health after he reportedly suffered a torn tendon in his right elbow in the Eastern Conference Finals. Playing again should help resolve any bitterness Brogdon might have over the trade situation, Robb states, but he may be less willing to sacrifice for the organization after nearly being moved.
The Celtics still may have interest in T.J. Warren and Lamar Stevens after bringing them in for tryouts, but they shouldn’t offer more than a partially guaranteed deal to either of them, Robb adds in the same piece.

Celtics Notes: Lillard, Tatum, Porzingis, Griffin, Banton

August 31st, 2023 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Jayson Tatum has reached out to Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard in an attempt to sell him on the benefits of playing for the Celtics, Marc J. Spears of Andscape said on a recent podcast with Bill Oram of The Oregonian (hat tip to HoopsHype).

Lillard, whose future has been in limbo since making his trade request nearly two months ago, remains determined to get to Miami and join a perennially successful organization that is coming off an NBA Finals appearance. Lillard would love to team up with Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler and go to a warm-weather city with no state income tax, Spears says, but mostly he wants a chance to compete for a title. Although his preference for the Heat hasn’t changed, it appears players from other teams are making an effort to recruit him, including Tatum.

“I know that Boston, I know Jayson Tatum has called him, try to get in his ear, but his focus is definitely on Miami,” Spears said.

There’s more on the Celtics:

President of basketball operations Brad Stevens isn’t worried about the health of Kristaps Porzingis despite a plantar fasciitis issue that prevented him from playing in the World Cup, relays Conor Ryan of The Boston Globe. Appearing on WEEI’s “Jones and Mego” show, Stevens said team officials weren’t aware of Porzingis’ condition when they acquired him from the Wizards in a three-team trade, but there’s no reason to think it will prevent him from playing. “He’s at the FIBA Tournament with the (Latvian) team so he’s doing his rehab there,” Stevens said. “We were with him in the 10 days, our training staff was with him (before the tournament) as he was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. He went through all the progressions and he really tried to ramp up and play. He just determined he didn’t want to deal with lingering effects down the road. This is something that we should be able to navigate and manage in the next few weeks and be ready for training camp. We’re planning on having him for Day 1 of training camp.”
Blake Griffin remains unsigned and it’s uncertain if the Celtics will reach out to him again, but Stevens appreciated his performance last season, per Brian Robb of MassLive. In the same radio interview, Stevens complimented all the back-up big men for helping the team stay in contention after Robert Williams‘ early-season injury, saying, “Blake was as good as it gets both on and off the court.”
Growing up, new Celtic Dalano Banton patterned his game after former Boston point guard Rajon Rondo, according to Taylor Snow of NBA.com.

Celtics Notes: Griffin, Porzingis, Tatum, Mazzulla

August 23rd, 2023 at 6:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Blake Griffin doesn’t have a team for the upcoming season, but he would love to return to the Celtics if the opportunity arises. Appearing on the Barstool Sports podcast (hat tip to ClutchPoints), Griffin called playing in Boston “one of the best experiences” and had plenty of good things to say about his teammates.

“The players on that team are just like such a great group of guys,” Griffin said. “Like a guy like Jayson Tatum, he’s a legit superstar. And he’s just so humble and talks to everybody on the team and talks to the whole staff.”

Griffin signed with the Celtics shortly before the start of last season and averaged 4.1 points and 3.8 rebounds in 41 games. Boston has open roster spots, and a recent report suggested there’s interest in bringing Griffin back. But the Celtics also have workouts scheduled with T.J. Warren, Lamar Stevens and Louis King, so they’re exploring their options.

There’s more from Boston:

Kristaps Porzingis can’t play in the World Cup because of plantar fasciitis, but he’ll travel to Indonesia to support his Latvian teammates, according to Eurohoops. “I said being around is important, even though I’m not playing,” Porzingis explained in an interview with Sporta Studija. “They supported my decision. Also, there’s a long season ahead. It’s important for me to spend time with my teammates, with my family, and Boston respected my decision.”
Tatum is sharpening his game this summer with help from former Celtics star Paul Pierce, per Brian Robb of MassLive. The Hall of Famer attended some of Tatum’s workouts in Los Angeles with trainer Drew Hanlan. “Watching JT sharpen those tools, seeing what greatness looks like,” Pierce said in an Instagram video.
In an interview with Michael Eaves of ESPN (video link), Joe Mazzulla explains how studying jiu-jitsu has made him a better coach. “It’s one of the hardest things I’ve done,” Mazzulla said. “What the art really gives is the study of transitions, and that really helps me because in a game and in a season, there’s transitions and decision making. You’re actually learning how not to fight. You’re learning how to handle situations. You’re learning how to problem solve.”

Stein’s Latest: USA Basketball, Wood, B. Griffin

August 7th, 2023 at 1:59pm CST by Rory Maher

Multiple reporters have confirmed the news — originally reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski — that Pistons guard Cade Cunningham was offered a spot on Team USA’s World Cup roster. Cunningham said last week that he declined the invitation to manage his workload for the upcoming 2023/24 season after being to 12 games in ’22/23 following shin surgery.

According to Marc Stein at Substack, USA Basketball had a longstanding interest in Cunningham joining the senior men’s team, but the organization also recognized that it was an “extreme long shot” to land him.

As Stein explains, Cunningham would have needed to commit to the full six-week time frame, which includes several exhibition games and lengthy international travel. Given how long he was sidelined, it makes sense that the 2021 No. 1 overall pick decided to be cautious; Detroit wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about the idea either, according to Stein.

Here’s more from Stein:

Why was USA Basketball so interested in Cunningham? As Stein observes, he fits the mold of a physical guard that was a priority for the roster, which includes Jalen Brunson, Anthony Edwards, Austin Reaves and Josh Hart (though Hart is more of a wing than a traditional ball-handling guard).
The lack of physicality may explain why Hawks guard Trae Young isn’t on the World Cup roster, despite USAB managing director Grant Hill being a part owner of Atlanta, Stein writes. Young was disappointed to not make the team and recently said he’d welcome the opportunity to represent Team USA at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Stein adds.
Former ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy will serve as Team USA’s scouting director for the World Cup, Stein reports. Van Gundy has been associated with USAB for several years, including serving as head coach from 2017-19 when the team was comprised of non-NBA players during qualifying rounds, Stein notes.
The Lakers remain interested in free agent big man Christian Wood, sources tell Stein. However, they used most of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception on Gabe Vincent and their bi-annual exception on Taurean Prince, so they can basically only offer Wood the veteran’s minimum. While the Mavericks are open to a Wood sign-and-trade, neither the Lakers nor the Heat are believed to be viable partners in that scenario, according to Stein.
The Celtics are interested in re-signing free agent big man Blake Griffin, league sources tell Stein, but it’s unclear if that interest is mutual. Griffin appeared in 41 regular season games with Boston in ’22/23, averaging career lows of 4.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 13.9 MPG. He also only played one game for six total minutes in the playoffs, despite the Celtics having 20 postseason contests.

Atlantic Notes: Fournier, Dolan, Harden, Griffin, Langford

July 24th, 2023 at 9:22am CST by Arthur Hill

Evan Fournier could eventually become a buyout possibility if the Knicks can’t find somewhere to trade him, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. Fournier played just 27 games last season as coach Tom Thibodeau pulled him from the rotation, and he doesn’t appear to be in the team’s plans for the upcoming campaign.

While Fournier may not have any remaining value to the organization as a player, his contract remains an asset in a potential trade. He will make $18.8MM this season and has the equivalent of an expiring deal with a team option of $19MM for 2024/25.

Fournier was benched because Thibodeau opted for a focus on defense, but he can still help a team as a shooter and play-maker. He set a Knicks record for most three-pointers made in a season during 2021/22.

With his 31st birthday upcoming in October, Fournier is concerned about what another season of inactivity will mean for his career, as he said in a recent interview with the French outlet L’ Equipe. Popper notes that the Knicks haven’t pursued any stars so far this offseason, but Fournier will probably remain on the roster for a while in case an opportunity for a significant deal arises.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Knicks owner James Dolan cast the only vote against the sale of the Hornets, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The transfer of a majority stake in the team to a group led by Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin was approved by a 29-1 margin.
It’s difficult to envision a quick resolution to the trade request submitted by Sixers guard James Harden, observes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Harden asked for a deal when he picked up his option for next season at the end of June, but little to no progress has been made. President of basketball operations Daryl Morey has reportedly set a high asking price that no teams have been willing to meet. Harden recently removed all references to Philadelphia and the team from his social media pages and wrote “Been comfortable for so long. It’s time to get uncomfortable” on his Instagram account.
The Celtics are likely exploring other options before deciding whether to re-sign Blake Griffin, Brian Robb of MassLive writes in a mailbag column. Robb points out that president of basketball operations Brad Stevens hasn’t mentioned Griffin in any of his sessions with the media since Boston was knocked out of the playoffs. Robb also expects Romeo Langford to get a training camp opportunity with another team rather than returning to the Celtics.