NBA Rumors: Blake Griffin Could End Up Playing With Detroit Pistons Under Strange Conditions

KEY POINTS

The Pistons could be in trouble if no team picks Blake Griffin up
The Pistons may not be willing to take on added expense if they buy out Griffin
Griffin could sacrifice half of his contract to continue playing, a former NBA executive suggests

Blake Griffin is one of the NBA players who have been forced to stay on the sidelines. He is on the block, but the chances of other teams dealing for him are not that promising.

Like Andre Drummond, ironically another former Detroit Piston, Griffin may end up getting bought out if no team gets him. That would be a big loss for the Pistons, who are trying to salvage what they can before the March 25 NBA trade deadline. So far, no team has been aggressively on the move, with most preferring to wait for a buyout.

But what if no buyout happens? What does this mean for Griffin and the Pistons?

It won’t come as a surprise if the Pistons decide not to buy out and lose money. There is a possibility that the former NBA Rookie of the Year may suit up anew, although that would seem awkward. He was made to sit out, resigned to the fact that he would be playing somewhere else.

Under that scenario, some form of negotiation is likely to be done. Griffin could sacrifice half of his salary if he chooses to continue playing with the Motor City squad. He is owed a total of $53.7 million for the next two NBA seasons, former NBA executive Bobby Marks pointed out.

Even if Griffin elects to give back let’s say $10M, Detroit would take on a massive cap hit of $32.7M in 2021-22.

A buyout should be off the table unless Griffin is willing to give back at least half of what he is owed. https://t.co/L3sHutarRY
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 15, 2021

But is this a route that the Pistons are willing to take? Griffin has been struggling with injuries, and Detroit has its sights set on the future. When healthy, the former NBA Slam Dunk King is a monster up front. But sadly, that has not happened since he got his knees operated on.

The bottom line here is that the Pistons will be losing big money if no team comes forward before the NBA trade deadline. That is the looming scenario right now before NBA vultures come in to try and add the All-Star forward.

Contending teams like the Los Angeles Lakers could consider Griffin but only if he is bought out. A straight trade holds low chances of happening, so the best the 31-year-old can do right now is patiently wait.

Finally, even if he does move to a new team, it will no longer be the same for Griffin. He could end up settling for scrap minutes and may need to prove he deserves a bigger role. It is a reality that the 6-foot-9 player needs to face if he plans to play on.