Clippers Rumors: Magic, Bulls to ‘push’ for Blake Griffin in 2017
By Tom West
Los Angeles Clippers star Blake Griffin will draw plenty of interest in NBA free agency next summer, and the Orlando Magic and Chicago Bulls will reportedly make a “hard push” to sign him.
Plenty of teams will be in pursuit of Blake Griffin next summer. As a top talent able to test free agency alongside the reigning two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry, Griffin will be one of the hottest names at every media outlet or Twitter feed you can find. It’s unavoidable. With false rumors persisting already this summer that the Los Angeles Clippers want to trade him, it’s clear talks of him leaving L.A. won’t go away.
That could finally be the case next summer, though. Doc Rivers has emphasized everything Clippers fans want to hear by saying that he wants Griffin to retire with the team, living out every season of his explosive career for one franchise. Whether or not that interests Griffin, though, is impossible to know. Without doubt, he’ll have a host of options to consider as teams try to lure him away.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are well known as a team that want to make Griffin their top target after securing Russell Westbrook for three more years, but Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders has now reported more teams that want to push for Blake’s All-NBA talent.
Kyler mentioned that both the Orlando Magic and Chicago Bulls have tradable pieces if the Clippers decide to shift Griffin now, while adding that they’ll push for him in free agency:
"The Thunder won’t be alone if Griffin hits the open market. The Boston Celtics have long had eyes for Griffin, and there has been talk that the Orlando Magic and Chicago Bulls would also make a hard push at Griffin. Coincidentally, both teams have tradable assets now if the Clippers decide they want to consider a trade."
The thought of trading Griffin now can be dismissed if you’re a nervous Clippers fan. Doc has said that no teams are even calling about potential trades for Blake now as they know the Clippers have no interest in making something happen. With a promising season on the horizon with Griffin healthy again, a push for the Western Conference Finals is a real possibility that should keep him on the team as Doc sees how far this group can go.
Of course, it could be for the final time. Perhaps it will be enough for Griffin and Chris Paul after another failure. Kevin Durant‘s Golden State Warriors look like an unsurpassable road block in the West, providing they aren’t destroyed by injuries.
That being said, if another frustrating loss is enough and Griffin decides to test his options, it will be perfectly understandable for him to do just that.
Will the Magic or Bulls really interest him, though?
must read: Doc 'extremely confident' he can keep Paul, Griffin
The Magic’s offseason has been a bizarre one to say the least. From the Tobias Harris trade to their accumulation of big men, leading to Aaron Gordon shifting to small forward and two starting caliber centers in Bismack Biyombo and Nikola Vucevic, Griffin’s fit in such a team would be questionable.
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They also gave up a heavy treasure chest — Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilysova, and lottery pick Domantas Sabonis — in their draft night trade for power forward Serge Ibaka, who’s only under contract for one more season. Parting ways with him after a season for Griffin would make such a deal look even worse.
As for the Bulls, their current roster holds no intrigue for a superstar like Griffin, who can have his fair share of teams to choose from. Jimmy Butler is still around, but the anti-floor-spacing backcourt of Rajon Rondo (who may leave after his one year under contract expires) and Dwyane Wade is hardly a pair that would encourage Griffin to leave Chris Paul.
Meanwhile, the Thunder belong in Griffin’s home town of Oklahoma City, featuring Westbrook, Oladipo, Sabonis, Steven Adams, Andre Roberson and Enes Kanter to form a highly attractive supporting cast.
Next: Why Thunder are set on a Griffin-Westbrook duo in 2017
If Blake does leave the Clippers, Oklahoma City could be far more likely than Orlando or Chicago. In the meantime, speculation on what may be going on in Griffin’s head this time next year is all we have.