Getty Images Blake Griffin of the Brooklyn Nets congratulates Kyrie Irving.
Six-time All-Star Blake Griffin will become a free agent this summer after spending the las two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets. Per “Basketball-Reference”, Griffin played a career-low 17.1 minutes per game during the 2021-22 season. It is the first time in his career that he has averaged less than 20 minutes per game in a season.
His time with the Nets appears to be in its last days, but Griffin’s career is far from over. One Eastern Conference executive tells Heavy’s Sean Deveney that multiple teams could pursue the All-Star forward in free agency.
“There will be a number of teams that look at him,” the Eastern Conference executive said. “Chicago, Miami, the Lakers, maybe even Boston. They’d be in the mix, at least.”
The Miami Heat could show interest in Blake Griffin, per @SeanDeveney
“‘He made a big, big impression around the league with the way he played against Boston, even though it was just a couple of games,’ the Eastern Conference exec told Heavy.”
The latest Nets news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Nets newsletter here!
Griffins Limited Playoff Minutes Could Pay Major Dividends
Griffin is no longer the explosive, high-flying athlete he was when he first entered the leage. He doesn’t stuff the stat sheet either. But the former lottery pick gives you all of the intangibles of a key role player. Diving on the floor for loose balls, setting hard screens, taking charges, and all the other undesirable dirty work. And as he showed in his limited minutes against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, Griffin still has enough left in the tank to be serviceable to a contending team.
“The thing about Blake is, it is obvious he can’t do much of what he used to do, even when he was in Detroit,” the executive continued.
“But he made a big, big impression around the league with the way he played against Boston, even though it was just a couple of games. But he was flying around, throwing his body around, taking charges, hitting the floor. He had a care factor that was off the charts, and a lot of teams took notice. This is an All-Star and a former MVP candidate and he is sacrificing himself. As your 10th man on a minimum deal, you take that. It raises everyone’s level.”
Nets Face Major Decisions in Free Agency
After retaining a pivotal piece of their roster in All-Star guard Kyrie Irving (at least for next season), the Nets have locked in their star trio of Kevin Durant, Kyrie, and Ben Simmons for 2023. The addition of Simmons will be especially key, because it will allow Durant to play off the ball more, similar to the system he was in during his time with the Warriors.
But now, the key is to build around those stars with role players that complement their games. In a way, they have already done that. The addition of Seth Curry to pair with Joe Harris via the James Harden trade gave Simmons two shooters to run with, which compliments his playmaking ability. But the Nets have several role players from last season set to hit the free-agent market on June 30. Some key names include Andre Drummond, Bruce Brown, and Nicolas Claxton.
Brooklyn is strapped for cash as they will be paying three players under max contracts next season, which means unfortunately, they may have to part ways with some players. They have tough decisions to make in the coming days.