It seems that a Blake Griffin and Boston Celtics reunion may not be possible after all. According to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, the Celtics are interested in bringing him back but that interest is not now shared by him.
“The Celtics would likely welcome a return by veteran big man Blake Griffin, who played well last year and was a strong locker room presence, but for now, that appears unlikely as Griffin considers his future,” Himmelsbach said in a story on September 5.
The Celtics now have one open space on their active roster after signing Svi Mykhailiuk. Mykhailiuk has been signed to a partially guaranteed contract, according to Spotrac’s Keith Smith.
This summer, Mykhailiuk and Dalano Banton both signed contracts with limited guarantees, and Luke Kornet’s deal for the 2023–24 season won’t have a guarantee until January 10. As the season goes on, this might have a significant impact on the Celtics’ roster and Griffin’s position on the squad.
Even though Himmelsbach said a Griffin-Celtics reunion wasn’t likely, it doesn’t sound like the case is closed just yet; rather, it sounds like it’s not an option for now. By midseason, Griffin might be willing to join the squad. Griffin might be able to return if the Celtics fill that final roster space at the start of the season by a trade, waiver, or release of Mykhailiuk, Kornet, and/or Banton.
Brad Stevens Praised Blake Griffin’s Performance
During his appearance on the August 29 episode of “Jones and Mego,” Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens praised Griffin for how well he did in his role, knowing the obstacles the Celtics were facing during the 2022-23 season.
“Our bigs were pretty thin,” Stevens said. “When (Robert Williams III) was out at the start of the year, those guys that played in his place did an amazing job of keeping us afloat. Blake was as good as it gets both on and off the court.”
Griffin was gradually pulled out of the Brooklyn Nets’ lineup throughout the 2021–22 campaign until being benched as a last resort in Game 3 of the Nets’ first-round game with the Celtics.
Griffin started 16 games for the Celtics as an emergency frontcourt starter when Williams and/or Al Horford were absent. Given that the Celtics won 10 of the games he started, Griffin did not perform poorly in that capacity.
Blake Griffin Said It Was ‘Unbelievable’ That He Was Leaving The Celtics Griffin did not hold back while discussing how much he loved his time with the team when speaking with Barstool Sports’ Dan Rapoport on “Fore Play Golf,” even if it appears like he is not interested in playing for the Celtics once more for the time being.
“Dude, Boston is amazing. One of the nicest experiences I had was living and playing in Boston. Man, those fans are amazing. a team that is so intent on winning championships. One of the finest aspects is how fantastic of a group of guys the players on that team are, according to Griffin. Jayson Tatum was singled out by Griffin for being a great teammate to everyone.
