Danny Granger may be on the move. Again.
Upon being traded from the Indiana Pacers to Philadelphia 76ers, you got the sense Granger, a former All-Star, wouldn’t be sticking around for long. And according to The Inquirer‘s Keith Pompey, that’s still expected to be the case:
Danny Granger’s status with the 76ers could be resolved on Tuesday.
That’s when the franchise may announce whether or not the 6-foot-9 forward, who was acquired in Thursday’s trade with the Indiana Pacers, will remain with the team.
Granger wants to play for an NBA championship contender, according to sources. And there’s a belief the Sixers will negotiate a buyout of what’s left of his expiring contract (about $4 million) to accommodate the former all-star. He must be on a postseason-bound team’s roster by Saturday in order play in the playoffs.
“The discussions, the meetings are continuing” with Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie, coach Brett Brown said before Monday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center. “I spoke with [Granger] yesterday.”
You might be thinking, “There’s no news here.” Everyone wants to play for a title contender. If the ultimate goal at the NBA level is winning a championship, then Granger’s line of thinking is predictable and justified.
It’s not like he’s a kid anymore. The 30-year-old Granger has been in the league for almost a decade, all of which—until now—was spent with the Pacers, and he has no ring to show for his efforts.
But in Granger’s case, playing for a contender could be disingenuous to his future.
Teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers, among others, aren’t going to have ample playing time available. And with Granger set to explore unrestricted free agency this summer, that’s huge.
For the last two seasons, Granger has battled injuries and inconsistency. When he’s been healthy this season, he’s been largely underwhelming, showing transient flashes of the player he used to be. If he wishes to drum up his market value ahead of free agency and ensure he isn’t left playing for peanuts on a short-term deal, he needs to go where he’s needed—not where he’ll be additional, seldom-used depth.
Understandably, Granger doesn’t want to play for a lottery-bound team. Those teams are equally likely to play younger developing prospects over him in favor of rebuilding or tanking, the latter of which is the case in Philly. Granger’s best option, then, is to sign with a fringe-playoff team.
Outfits still hoping to secure playoff berths will need him. The prospect remains they miss out and Granger’s season ends early, but they would still play him, giving him plenty of opportunities to increase his free-agency stock.
Think teams like the Memphis Grizzlies, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns and Charlotte Bobcats. Each of those franchises has a need for him, and playing time available. On any one of those teams he instantly becomes the third scoring option at worst. In New York’s case, he could easily become their No. 2, what with Carmelo Anthony getting help from absolutely no one this season.
Granger is ultimately going to do what he’s going to do. Legitimate championship hopes are seductive, and he could be swayed to play 15-20 minutes, or less, on a team like the Spurs or Thunder if it brings him closer to the NBA Finals.
But if Granger is worried about his future in the NBA beyond this season, winning must take a backseat to actually playing.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
