After missing a handful of games throughout the year, it seems like former NBA All-Star Blake Griffin’s time in Detroit is officially coming to an end as he and the team have decided to keep him out until they work out what his future holds. Reports surfaced the other day about Blake Griffin agreeing to sit out of the lineup for the Pistons until the franchise and his representatives work through a resolution on his playing future. 

Given that Blake Griffin is owed $36.5M this season and $38.9M for the 2021-22 season if he was to opt into his player option, it is almost impossible for the Pistons to work out a trade for the former All-Star forward, which is why he could very much be bought out of his contract. This is a really bad situation for the Pistons because if they were to buy-out Griffin, then they would not only owe him guaranteed money over numerous years, but that money would directly affect their salary space moving forward. 

The Pistons are going to continue to search for trade opportunities involving Griffin, but it is seeming more and more likely that the organization and Griffin’s representation are going to come to a buy-out agreement in the near future. 

With the NBA trade deadline being March 25th this season, the Pistons do have some time to try and pursue some trades for Griffin. It just seems very unrealistic that another team could trade for a $30M+ contract at this time, especially for an older player like Griffin who is half the player he once was. 

If/when the Pistons buy-out Blake Griffin, there should be plenty of teams that will be looking to sign the veteran forward to a minimum contract. He is still a very well-known name around the league and while he will not go for 20+ points per night anymore, he can still provide 20-25 solid minutes on the court, especially for a championship contender. 

Now, let’s take a look at the top three landing spots for the 6x All-Star and former dunk champion, Blake Griffin.