Hopefully you’re not yet sick and tired of Blake Griffin rumors.
Because we have another one.
Everything we’ve heard since the initial shock of Griffin fracturing his right hand as the result of punching the Los Angeles Clippers’ assistant equipment manager has been relatively similar: The Clippers are not going to trade him ahead of Feb. 18’s trade deadline. If they do move him, it will be over the offseason.
But there’s apparently more to it than that.
From Frank Isola of the New York Daily News:
The Clippers are making Blake Griffin available even though the injured forward is recovering from a second surgical procedure to his right (punching) hand and may not play again this season, especially if he’s traded to a team out of the playoff race.
There’s also this to consider:
Broussard on ESPN: "The Clippers called the Nuggets and offered Blake Griffin & Lance Stephenson for Jokic, Will Barton, Gallanari & Faried"
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) February 15, 2016
Shopping Griffin now is truly bizarre. He may not return until April after rehabilitating his right hand and serving a four-game suspension. His value has, ostensibly, never been lower.
On the flip side, Griffin can explore free agency at the end of next season (player option) and will be viewed as a pseudo-expiring contract by any team that acquires him over the summer or midway through 2016-17. The more time his next home has to sell him on re-signing in free agency, the better—hence why we should expect these rumors to circulate through Thursday’s 3 p.m. trading cutoff.
