Nets: Blake Griffin and Brooklyn beginning to make sense

The Detroit Pistons recently announced their plans to sit Blake Griffin until further notice, looking make good on his wishes and move him to a contending team. If things go right, he could find himself in Brooklyn Nets colors sooner rather than later.

Connecting the Brooklyn Nets to any potentially available big-name player player certainly feels like an unbreakable habit at this point. We listened to Bradley Beal rumors for quite a while, pondered some mock trades featuring Kevin Love, and a narrative linking Russell Westbrook to the team even became popular for a bit.

Obviously, all these potential Woj Bombs never met their detonation. But even with this considered, referring to Brooklyn’s front office activity this season as “uneventful” or even “quiet” feels wrong in every respect.

Just over a month ago, the Nets won the James Harden sweepstakes, allying him with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to assemble a true NBA super team.

With the Nets having successfully reeled in this additional star power so recently, an inclination for Brooklyn to recast their line seems reasonable, and when the Pistons announced their plans to move Blake Griffin on Monday, they tossed another large fish into the pond.

During his first two years as a Piston, Griffin averaged 22.2 PGG and 7.1 RPG, but having fallen victim to some injury woes, his numbers have since declined; he’s averaged 13.9 PPG and 4.9 RPG over the last two seasons. However, granting Griffin a change of scenery while surrounding him with more skillful teammates might revitalize the 31 year-old. That’s where the Nets come in.

As a team struggling to secure rebounds and still missing Jarrett Allen’s overall presence down low, Griffin and the Nets might need each other more than they care to let on.

Sean Marks may need to to jump through some hoops, and maybe over a silver KIA Optima to bring these two sides together, but with how things look right now, Griffin playing for the Nets makes too much sense to ignore for these reasons.

The Nets-Blake Griffin match depends on the Andre Drummond Situation

For weeks now, Andre Drummond’s name hovered almost exclusively around the Brooklyn Nets, with a buyout from the Cleveland Cavaliers sounding more like a matter of “when” rather than “if.”

That all came to an unexpected halt on Monday morning when Shams Charania of The Athletic published a story detailing ongoing trade discussions revolving around Drummond between the Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors.

Buyouts often come as a “last-ditch” option for teams looking to part ways with a player, but a potential trade with a team like the Raptors remains a far more fruitful option, as it allows the Cavaliers save some money and actually get something in return for Drummond if they strike the right deal.

For this reason, it feels incredibly likely that Cleveland will actively pursue a trade with Toronto rather than a buyout. This poises to eliminate the Nets from the entire scenario, as they can only sign Drummond as a free agent due to their insufficient trade capital.

Now to treat this potential trade with the Raptors like a done deal at this point feels incredibly foolish for the Nets, given its incomplete nature and Drummond’s still expensive contract regardless of its longevity, but if he indeed comes off the table for the Nets, Griffin does stand as the next best option for Brooklyn.

He may lack the overall size that Drummond provides, but he played center a bit during his time with the Clippers and his improved passing as a big still makes him an upgrade from Reggie Perry and Noah Vonleh.

Blake Griffin’s contract could also hold the Nets back.

You might find yourself wondering, “Why don’t the Pistons trade Griffin instead of buying him out like Drummond?” Well, it’s a move the Pistons can and should definitely explore, but will ultimately fail to achieve due to financial reasons.

To compare, Drummond’s contract comes to an end after this season even with $28 million left on it. That makes him a far more easier player to move, given the minimal yearly commitment attached to him.

Griffin’s contract, however, extends into 2022 and has a whopping $53.7 million still on it, which will appear far uglier to NBA front offices than Drummond’s does during negotiations. This makes Griffin and his contract far more likely to be bought out, rather than accepted by another team.

With his contract dissolved, Griffin can become a free agent and sign with any team. The Nets have a combined $11.4 million in exceptions, which they could sign Griffin with. This option will pay Griffin far less than what he might receive elsewhere, but the six-time All-Star seems committed to joining a team with title aspirations, and the Nets certainly offer that.

Will DeAndre Jordan’s presence wake Blake Griffin up with the Nets?

DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin’s brightest days as NBA players came when the two worked side by side as high flyers for the “Lob City” Los Angeles Clippers. With Jordan now a Net, Griffin might feel inclined to head south to Brooklyn and reunite with his long time teammate.

Like Griffin, Jordan’s game has noticeably deteriorated since he left Los Angeles. But if the pair’s chemistry carries over from their days as Clippers, it will surely benefit the two struggling veterans, as very few bigs in recent memory looked more compatible on the court than Jordan and Griffin.

This idea might attract Griffin to Brooklyn, as he can play alongside an old friend while also potentially reviving his career.

While playing together, Jordan and Griffin averaged a combined 2.5 blocks and 20.1 rebounds per game, with a 59.6 FG%. But while apart, they collectively averaged 1.6 blocks and 19.9 rebounds per game, with a 55.5 FG%.

Each player’s age certainly factors into these falloffs to some degree, but Griffin is still only 31 and Jordan is 32. Players older than that include Stephen Curry, Mike Conley, Aaron Baynes, and Patrick Beverley.

With this acknowledged, both Jordan and Griffin seem far too young to express any age-oriented excuses, and with the duo proven to have brought the best out of each other in the past, their reassembly feels all too perfect to ignore any longer.

Brooklyn Nets: 4 trade targets that make more sense than Kevin Love

The Brooklyn Nets were rumored to be interested in a deal for Kevin Love, but these 4 trade targets make far more sense than the 32-year-old.