Why the Golden State Warriors shouldn’t pursue Blake Griffin
The Detroit Pistons are holding Blake Griffin out in order to pursue a trade for him, and the Golden State Warriors shouldn’t even think about giving them a call.
Especially with the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis potentially out for quite a while, the Golden State Warriors may make a few trades before the deadline that could make them Finals contenders.
With a plethora of big names hitting the trade market, the Warriors will have options, especially given the load of assets they have. The Dubs should be able to bring in just about anyone that is available.
The two names that are clearly on the market are Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin. The Raptors and Cavaliers are in talks for Drummonds, but there doesn’t appear to have been any suitors step for Griffin.
Why the Warriors should not pursue Blake Griffin
The Warriors shouldn’t be one of the teams that step up for Griffin. Now, let’s be clear — if he’s bought out, that’s a different story, but for now, there’s no reason to give any type of compensation for Griffin.
Given how he’d fit on this roster, it just doesn’t make sense.
For starters, as it currently stands, Griffin is owed over $36 million. He also has a player option that’s almost valued at $40 million for next season. That alone means that, if the Warriors wanted to bring Griffin in, they’d have to trade one of the Big 3 or Andrew Wiggins to make it happen.
That already kicks off the conversation on a rough point. The other point is just how Griffin does the bulk of his work.
The Warriors rank third in assists per game. With Draymond Green and Stephen Curry leading the way, Golden State has been able to keep their system running smoothly despite the additions of players like Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre Jr.
That system may not be one that fits Blake Griffin’s style well.
While Griffin has tremendously improved his three-point shooting over the last half a decade, he’s at a career-low 28.6 percent of his two-point field goals assisted on. He’s at just over 61 percent of his three-point field goals assisted on.
Griffin is typically the main option, and he’s the one that, like Draymond Green, has the ball in his hands and is making plays. In Golden State, that wouldn’t be his role, and with how he’s aged, it may not be ideal for his fit in the system.
On top of that, Griffin’s production just isn’t there. He’s averaging 12.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. He needs to be better for teams to really be enticed by what he could bring to the table.
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So far, he hasn’t impressed, and with his contract so lofty, it’s just not ideal for Golden State to even think about going out of their way to make something happen. That said, if he’s bought out, expect the Warriors to at least be in the market for the six-time All-Star.