Clipperholics
Fansided

The Los Angeles Clippers trade is scary, but opens the future

By Brian Cullen

PLAYA VISTA, CA- JUNE 19: Lawrence Frank, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations of the Los Angeles Clippers with Jerry West as Special Consultant at a press conference in Playa Vista, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
PLAYA VISTA, CA- JUNE 19: Lawrence Frank, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations of the Los Angeles Clippers with Jerry West as Special Consultant at a press conference in Playa Vista, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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AUBURN HILLS – JANUARY 31: Blake Griffin
AUBURN HILLS – JANUARY 31: Blake Griffin /

The Bereaved

Blake. Let’s all take a moment of silence for the end of an era.

More from Clipperholics

Enough can’t be said about what Blake brought to the Clippers, it’s fans, and the LA community as a whole. One of the longest tenured Clippers in franchise history, Blake will always be a Clipper in the eyes of fans. However, moving on from the Blake-era might just have been the exact right move to make.

Blake is a top-20 player, no doubt, but has his baggage. Since the beginning of the ’15-’16 season the All-Star forward has missed 84 games. That’s not including the post season. More than an entire regular season missed. At 5 years/$173M that is concerning. With a history of injuries, paying a player almost $40M when he’s 32 is a huge risk.

Fans cheered with excitement when Blake signed his contract. He deserves every dollar in it, and good on the Clippers for getting him a massive payday. The excitement might have been an effect of the emotions that came from seeing Chris Paul traded. Despite how anyone feels about him, seeing a player like Chris Paul leave can be very scary. Griffin’s contract is not one conducive to a flexible future for the Clippers.

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