Brooklyn Nets emerge as Blake Griffin front-runner and here’s what it means

Blake Griffin’s tenure with the Detroit Pistons has finally come to an end as Adrian Wojnarowski confirmed that he has officially been bought out. The Brooklyn Nets are not ones to shy away from star power, and they could look to add Griffin to the mix.

Griffin is shooting just 36% from the field and 31% from 3-point range this year, all the while failing to record even a single dunk. That “lethal” combination has helped Griffin average just 12.3 points this year.

Troy Weaver and the rebuilding Pistons have decided to buy him out after failing to find a trade partner. According to the latest rumors, Griffin appears intrigued by the potential of playing alongside Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden.

Sources have told Shams Charania of The Athletic that Griffin is expected to sign with the Nets, as Brooklyn beat several other contenders to the punch for his services.

How would Blake Griffin fit into the Brooklyn Nets’ rotation?

Griffin is not the rebounder that his old teammate DeAndre Jordan is, and he is performing so poorly on offense that he would be best served coming off of the bench. While Jeff Green has been filling the role of veteran stretch big off of the bench well this season, Griffin’s ceiling might be just a tad bit higher on offense.

Griffin playing his usual power forward spot alongside Nic Claxton with the second unit could be a very interesting combination for Steve Nash to experiment with, given how the pair have such contrasting styles.

With Griffin’s ability to rise up from three and Claxton’s skill at navigating the paint and getting to the rim, that duo could be one of the better pairings that emerges out of Brooklyn’s bench mob. If he focuses on rebounding, Griffin might be able to single-handedly fix Brooklyn’s struggles on the glass.

While Griffin plays almost no defense at this stage of his career, and was far from an amazing defender in his prime, Brooklyn appears fine with playing minimal defense. As long as Griffin keeps scoring, he’ll get plenty of chances in the rotation.

Griffin is not the player that he once was, nor was he ever an amazing defender. However, if he is willing to accept a limited role off the bench in the name of pursuing a championship, he could become a valued member of Brooklyn’s rotation.