NBA Free Agency 2017: 5 offseason targets for the Boston Celtics
By Dre Elder
2. Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin recently made headlines when he didn’t list Los Angeles as one of his favorite cities. But Boston made the list. Does this mean fans can expect to regularly see the 2009 top overall pick in TD Garden next season? Perhaps. The Clippers have had very little postseason success in the gauntlet that is the Western Conference. Then, there were those old rumors about Griffin’s contentious relationship with Chris Paul. A change of scenery just might be in the cards for Griffin, who is recovering from another injury.
Griffin at his best is a superstar. He exploded onto the NBA scene by averaging 22.5 points and 12.1 rebounds per game during his rookie year. Through seven years in the league, Griffin is posting averages of 21.5 points, 9.4 boards, and 4.1 assists per game. He’s lethal from the mid-post because of his exceptional passing ability. Griffin’s talent has never been questioned. His durability? Well, that’s another thing entirely. He’s missed time because of injury in each of the last three seasons. But if Griffin can stay healthy, he gives the Celtics a perennial All-Star talent to augment a very good roster.
Boston has enough cap space to absorb one max-level contract without surrendering some of their core group. Danny Ainge knows his coveted young players will need time to develop. How much longer is he willing to wait? If they have the opportunity to get two stars this summer, then parting with a couple young prospects would be a necessary sacrifice.