NBA Rumors: Danny Granger On Short List Of Teams After Sixers Buyout

His days as the franchise cornerstone of the Indiana Pacers now long gone, swingman Danny Granger can find some solace with a new championship contender by week’s end.

Traded by Indiana last week to the Philadelphia 76ers, Granger came to terms with the team on a buyout on Wednesday and he’s now entertaining offers from the Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs, according to ESPN.

Granger will likely clear waivers by the 5 p.m. EST deadline on Friday, at which point he will be a free agent and can latch on to a winning team in the hopes of capturing a title eight years into his career.

The Clippers and Spurs each have their pros and cons, while both are almost certain to make the playoffs, but Granger is thus far leaning towards L.A. ESPN cited sources saying that Granger would enjoy more playing time for the Clippers, and he has an offseason home in Los Angeles.

The defending champion Miami Heat could have been an option, but they are reportedly working on a deal to bring veteran Caron Butler back into the fold.

Granger would likely join a Clippers second unit that’s third in the league in scoring, netting 40.1 points per game, and an NBA-best 17.7 rebounds.

Granger could greatly benefit with guard J.J. Redick hampered by injuries all season, and slots in well next to second-leading scorer Jamal Crawford as well as back-up point guard Darren Collison.

However, San Antonio’s proven ability to win when it counts the most may reign supreme over Los Angeles. The Clippers have won just two playoff series in six total appearances in franchise history compared to defending Western Conference champion San Antonio, which has won 27 playoff series and four championships since 1999.

The aging Spurs could certainly use more depth at shooting guard and small forward, and Granger would provide some relief for veteran Manu Ginobili and could pair nicely with Marco Bellineli along the three-point line come playoff time.

For three straight seasons, Granger averaged more than 20 points per game, and was seen one of best young scorers in the league capable of lifting the Pacers to their first championship in history. But major knee injuries have limited the 30-year-old to 34 total games played in the last two seasons, and brought about the elevation of Paul George as Indiana’s new leader.

Granger returned from injury to make his season debut for Indiana back in December, and has averaged 8.3 points and 3.6 rebounds in 29 games.