Blake Griffin hinting at desire to return to the Clippers

An ugly divorce could lead to a happy ending for the LA Clippers and Blake Griffin.

Although the Clippers was often viewed as a bottom-of-the-barrel franchise, Griffin did his very best to erase that perpetual stigma.

Having played on the less than glamorous side of Crypto.com Arena, Griffin, along with Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan of course, pushed them to new heights during the 2010s. As a result, Griffin’s name is littered across the Clippers’ record books. Griffin ranks in the top ten in Clippers history in total defensive rebounds, games played, triple-doubles, and points per game average.

Through mostly his sheer will, Griffin placed LA on his behemoth-like shoulders and attempted to carry them to a Larry O’Brien trophy. Once Griffin’s expectations never came to fruition, he was given a chance to test the free agency market following the conclusion of the 2016-17 season.

While he flirted with several teams on the market, Griffin ultimately returned to LA on a five-year $173 million dollar deal. The moment Griffin signed his name on the dotted line, and shortly after LA whispered in his ear that he would be a Clipper for life, he was forced to pack his bags and head to Detroit for Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris, and multiple draft picks.

Griffin, unsurprisingly, was acrimonious over the entire ordeal, even going as far as to run from owner Steve Ballmer when he attempted to greet Griffin once the Pistons strolled into town.

Bitter feelings aside, it appears as though Griffin is longing for a reunion.

Social media is sometimes overblown but not this time around. On April 26th, Muse Brand on Twitter wrote to Griffin, urging the multiple-time All-Star to return to his roots and come home.

Under normal circumstances, NBA stars will openly ignore the calls and pleas of their supporters, not Griffin. In an act of open honesty, Griffin liked Muse Brand’s tweet.

A reunion could be one that Griffin both desperately wants and needs. With Griffin’s athleticism virtually nonexistent at this point, it’s unlikely that teams will be banging on his door asking for his services.

Griffin’s decline is obtrusive. Currently, Griffin’s career scoring average comes in a shade under 20 points per game. For the entirety of the 2021-22 season, Griffin failed to score 20 points at all.

While listless at times on the court, Griffin figures to spend his second tenure in LA plastered to the bench. That is, of course, if Ballmer extends an olive branch in Griffin’s direction. If he does, Griffin, from what it appears, will gladly accept, even if it will be for more sentimental reasons and not for what Griffin can contribute to what seems to be a championship-level ball club.