NBA Rumors: Blake Griffin Could Join Forces With LeBron James On Lakers And Get His Revenge Against Clippers

Since their controversial breakup in 2018, there has been bad blood existing between veteran power forward Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers. Months after giving him a massive contract extension and declaring him as the face of the franchise, the Clippers traded him to the Detroit Pistons to undergo a rebuilding process. With his growing health concerns and expensive salary, most people would agree that the Clippers made the right decision to part ways with the former All-Star.

However, it’s still possible for Griffin to have his revenge against the Clippers before he permanently ends his NBA career. In a recent article, Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report cited “revenge factor” as one of the main reasons why Griffin could end up joining forces with LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020-21 NBA season. Since he was dumped by the Clippers, Swartz revealed that there had been an “extra motivation” for Griffin to win an NBA championship title in Staples Center for the Purple and Gold.

James and the Lakers are indeed more than capable of helping Griffin have his revenge against his former team. They have just won the NBA championship title last year and are currently one of the heavy favorites to represent the Western Conference in the 2021 NBA Finals this season. However, the only way that the Lakers could add him to their roster this year is if he and the Pistons agree to a contract buyout after the 2021 trade deadline.

If they could get him without giving up a valuable asset, bringing Griffin to Los Angeles would make a lot of sense for the Lakers. With Anthony Davis set to be on the sideline for two to three weeks with an injury, Swartz thinks that they could use some help from a former All-Star who offers a similar skill set.

“The Lakers should let Davis take all the time he needs to recover, which opens up a need for Griffin. With Kyle Kuzma likely sliding into the starting power forward spot, Griffin would serve as a playmaking reserve 4 who could help create shots for the rest of the bench unit. The veteran’s best game of the year came against the Lakers on Jan. 28 when he scored 23 points, handed out six assists and went 5-of-10 from three-point range in a Detroit win.”

If Griffin would willingly accept a reserve role, he would undeniably be a great addition to the Lakers’ bench. Aside from helping them ease the loads on James’ shoulders in terms of scoring and playmaking, he could also be an integral part of their rotation when the real battle begins in the playoffs.