Boston Celtics big man trade target #5: Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin is sitting out until he finds a way out of Motor City.
Bleacher Report’s Mandela Namaste believes that the Pistons may not even be able to find a taker for the former 6x All-Star in a trade:
"Griffin is earning almost $36.6 million this year and has a nearly $39.0 player option next season. That’s far too costly for a player averaging only 12.3 points on 36.5 percent shooting and 5.2 rebounds this season. With John Wall showing a surprising amount of life in Houston and Russell Westbrook slowly playing his way back into form with the Wizards, Griffin has the worst contract in the NBA at the moment. Expect the Pistons to bite the bullet and buy the big man out at some point in the next several weeks."
It’s very possible Griffin is bought out, but Detroit hasn’t yet given the indication that it plans to do so. He is on an expiring contract in 2021-22, so his value will rise significantly come the offseason.
Given that the Boston Celtics have the third-best odds to land him in a deal, he is an option. But besides his one-year resurgence in 2018-19, Griffin has been an overpriced asset since being dealt from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Pistons in January 2018.
Boston Celtics big man trade target #4: Andre Drummond
Andre Drummond is not the center of the future in Cleveland. That distinction belongs to Jarrett Allen, who was recently dealt away from the Brooklyn Nets to facilitate the arrival of James Harden.
Drummond would be a near-perfect trade target if he wasn’t making more than the $28.5 million traded player exception the Cs have at their disposal to absorb salary in deals. Alas, giving up any core member of the team for a player who wouldn’t shoot them to the top of the standings is a non-starter for Boston.
Boston Celtics big man trade target #3: Kristaps Porzingis
Kristaps Porzingis is playing well for the Mavericks–the team that just downed Boston last night due to the late-game greatness of Luka Doncic–but Dallas is looking into trading away the remaining three-and-a-half seasons on his $158 million contract.
While he is a clear upgrade over anyone currently manning the middle for the Celtics, his injury history makes HH nervous about his long-term prospects.