Blake Griffin will hit the open 2017 NBA free agency market, and there will be a lot of teams lining up with an interest in signing him. He will have his choice of teams that he would like to play for. There are a few obvious fits for Griffin, but there are also a few dark-horse teams that don’t come to mind immediately when thinking about potential destinations for him.
Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder have been mentioned. We previously went into depth about how the Lakers could target Griffin here at Inquisitr .
Obviously, those two teams are big names that are going to show interest in signing Griffin. There is one team that isn’t being mentioned as a serious landing spot that might actually be the best possible fit for Griffin.
Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs might very well give Griffin the best chance to take his game to the next level, as well as compete for championships. He would be playing under arguably the best coach in the NBA and would fit into the Spurs’ style of play.
Last season with the Los Angeles Clippers, Griffin ended up averaging 21.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. He shot 49.9 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 72.7 percent of his foul shots. There is a chance that Doc Rivers will find a way to bring him back long-term, although Griffin will be open to hearing other offers when free agency opens.
According to a report from Sean Deveney of Sporting News a couple weeks back, the Boston Celtics were trying to acquire Griffin from the Clippers. Those talks didn’t go very far, but the Clippers are at least listening to offers for Griffin.
Griffin would form a deadly front-court duo with LaMarcus Aldridge. He would be replacing the role that future Hall of Fame big man Tim Duncan has had over the last couple of years. While he would be replacing Duncan in the role, he would also be a massive upgrade.
San Antonio will have to make another move or two if they want to compete with the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference. Golden State adding Kevin Durant made them one of the most feared teams that the league has seen in years. Signing Griffin would make the Spurs a threat for the Warriors, although the age of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili hurts them in the long run.
At 27-years-old, Griffin could be signing the biggest contract of his career. He may have one more big deal after next offseason, but he has to make the right decision to play the rest of his prime in a perfect situation.
There is always the chance that Griffin doesn’t consider San Antonio or that they don’t pursue him. They just signed Pau Gasol this offseason. Even though they don’t “need” Griffin, he would bolster their long-term chances to win yet another championship.
It will be interesting to see which teams are the most aggressive in their pursuit of Griffin. He won’t be the most hyped up free agent on the market with Stephen Curry available, but his name will be mentioned in tons of rumors. Griffin will likely see his name mentioned in trade rumors throughout the 2016-17 season as well leading up to the NBA trade deadline.
Expect to see the Spurs show some level of interest in Griffin next offseason. They may not end up being a finalist to sign him, but it would make a lot of sense for both sides.
Griffin will drastically improve the championship odds of the team that ends up signing him, and the Spurs could use a new superstar following the retirement of the face of their franchise.
Do you think the San Antonio Spurs would be a good landing spot for Blake Griffin? What other teams do you think should show interest? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!
[Photo by Danny Moloshok/AP Photo]