Blake Griffin Rumors: Pistons Buying Him Out; Here Are Interested Teams

Blake Griffin is going to get the chance to play for an NBA title this year, and it obviously won’t come with the Detroit Pistons.

Griffin has agreed to a buyout and will become an unrestricted free agent, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday, citing sources.

Unsurprisingly, a market already is starting to develop for the six-time All-Star. The usual suspects are interested, per The New York Times’ Marc Stein, who says the Lakers, Clippers, Nets, Heat and Warriors all have expressed interest in Griffin should he become available.

Now that it appears that is the case, Griffin presumably will have his pick from the best teams in the NBA. It will be interesting to see if that market eventually includes the Boston Celtics, who it appears have turned a corner after a bumpy stretch. The Celtics, winners of four straight entering the All-Star break, have expressed interest in Griffin in the past, but that obviously was before Griffin held all the cards.

Griffin hasn’t played since Feb. 12, after he and the Pistons decided it was best for him to sit out while the team pursued a trade. Obviously, as Wojnarowski pointed out, that was easier said than done with Griffin making more than $36 million this season and $39 million next year.

It will be fascinating to see how a change of scenery could get Griffin back on track. He largely floundered in Detroit, and his numbers this season reflect a disappointing tenure in Motor City. Griffin was averaging just 12 points and five rebounds in the 20 games he played this season.