Many people have floated the idea that Blake Griffin would consider signing with the Oklahoma City Thunder when he reaches free agency this summer. He was born in Oklahoma City, attended high school in Oklahoma and went to the University of Oklahoma. The hometown ties are there.
But Griffin, who will miss the rest of the playoffs with an injured toe, apparently has no desire to go home, per Basketball Insiders’ Steve Kyler (via HoopsHype):
There’s this perception (Blake Griffin) would want to go back to Oklahoma City, but I’ve talked to people around that and they find that so laughable. Like, “Look, it’s where he’s from, but he doesn’t want to play there.” It’s nothing against the city, it’s Blake has found an interesting and fulfilling life living in L.A.
Let’s take Griffin’s preferences out of the equation for a minute. Even then, this idea is a moot.
The Thunder will sniff the luxury tax just by carrying the pre-contract cap holds on Taj Gibson and Andre Roberson (restricted). They could renounce both, find a team willing to absorb Enes Kanter’s salary without sending anything back in return, and still they wouldn’t have the flexibility necessary to sign Griffin.
Ergo, they aren’t going to sign Griffin. And even if they could, it doesn’t sound like he’d consider them anyway.
