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Blake Griffin coming home to OKC Thunder would be ideal, but difficult

By Albert Dadson

Mar 8, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) reacts to missing a basket in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Clippers 107-91. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) reacts to missing a basket in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Clippers 107-91. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /
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Blake Griffin is from Oklahoma and coming home to play for his hometown team, the OKC Thunder, is an opportunity that most NBA players dream of. The problem is it’d be very difficult to pull off.

The Oklahoma City Thunder need a second scoring option and they can try to do that in free agency. One player that has been in the rumors of the OKC Thunder being able to acquire in 2017 free agency since last summer is Blake Griffin.

The Thunder would really have to reshape the roster in order to get Griffin because they do not have the cap space, but it would be worth it to pair somebody up with Russell Westbrook after his MVP-caliber season and be able to rebuild after Kevin Durant left to go to Golden State.

Blake Griffin went to the University of Oklahoma and played with his brother, Taylor Griffin, while there. He’s also originally from Oklahoma, out of the town of Edmond. Blake Griffin averaged 21.6 points and 8.1 rebounds a game this season. That compares favorably to the next scoring threat for the Thunder, Victor Oladipo, who only averaged 15.9 points and had 4.3 rebounds a game. It’s safe to say that Oladipo is not cutting it as Westbrook’s right hand man.

In Kevin Durant’s last season with the team, he averaged 28.2 points and 8.2 rebounds a game, while Westbrook averaged 23.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. That is the balanced two-punch combo that the Thunder want, and it’s why they would reshape their roster for Griffin if he expresses interest in signing there.

With the Warriors looking like the cream of the crop of the West and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Big Three experiment of Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan and Griffin obviously not working, it might make sense for Griffin to consider other options.

In these 2017 NBA Playoffs, Griffin injured his plantar plate in his big right toe and he was done for the postseason. He is expected to miss 2-4 months. In 2016, Griffin punched a team assistant, Matias Testi at a Toronto restaurant, breaking a bone in his right hand.

Mar 25, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA;Utah Jazz guard George Hill (3) defends Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) as he drives to the basket in the first half of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 25, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA;Utah Jazz guard George Hill (3) defends Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) as he drives to the basket in the first half of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

The off-the-court issues might be a problem for the Thunder, but having talent always gives a player a second chance. Griffin coming to the Thunder would be impossible without trading some significant pieces, but one avenue to pursue might be a sign-and-trade.

The two players that the Thunder would almost have to include in a sign-and-trade would be Enes Kanter and Domantas Sabonis. Kanter is set to make $17 million next year and $18 million in the 2018-19 season. He has starter talent and he would be a good acquisition for the Clippers. Sabonis is a raw but enticing rookie who could help fill Lob City’s future frontcourt as a stretch-4.

The Clippers could always sign back Griffin because they could offer Griffin the most money, and the Thunder would really have to rework their roster in order to get space to get Griffin. The Clippers would only agree to a sign-and-trade if they knew Griffin was going to leave for sure and wanted something back for their max player.

The Clippers can offer a max deal worth $175 million for five years and other teams can offer four years for $130 million.

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    • The OKC Thunder will have about $11 million in cap space next season, but due to cap holds, they would have to offload a lot of contracts to be able to afford Griffin. That would mean Kanter, Sabonis, Oladipo and/or Steven Adams would all get traded to relieve their contracts. Oladipo and Adams both got contract extensions worth up to $184 million. Their contracts would have to go to be able to make room for Griffin.

    Getting rid of both Adams or Oladipo would be a lot, but being able to obtain another max player to play with Westbrook would make it all worth it. The talent of Griffin and Westbrook is enough to start a team to build around. They would also be able to try and get some second round picks in this year’s draft to be able to get bodies to fill up the roster. They would be able to get those picks in the trades of Oladipo or Adams. Teams like the Philadelphia 76ers have four second rounds picks and they will be looking to be able to make moves.

    The Thunder would also have to draft an excellent shooter in order for Griffin and Westbrook to work. The person that everybody seems to think would be a perfect fit is Justin Jackson. Drafting him would give them the shooter that they need, a third option to develop and a solid small forward to plug in.

    Being able to trade Oladipo/Adams and even Kanter would be a hard thing to do because of how expensive their contracts are. Also, they would have to renounce the rights to Norris Cole, Nick Collison, Taj Gibson, Jerami Grant and possibly Andre Roberson in free agency to be able to clear space. The team is at $-37 million in terms of cap space so they need to be able to clear as much space as possible. Trading for second round picks would be an option though.

    It doesn’t seem likely that the Thunder would do all this for one player when they still wouldn’t be the favorite to win the championship but if the Thunder do this, it helps them compete in the future with two superstars that want to be there.

    Griffin seems to like being a superstar in Los Angeles. L.A. is the second-largest media market and his opportunities off the court there are better than they’d be in OKC. However, Griffin can look at what Westbrook has done with Jordan, who Griffin is also signed to, as well as his Mountain Dew endorsement as reinsurance that his brand would still be intact.

    Next: 5 potential landing spots for Blake Griffin in free agency

    The chance for this to happen will only be possible if the Thunder pursue this with every intent to sign Griffin because once again, they do not have the requisite cap space. Sacrifices would need to be made, but signing Griffin would be a step for the Thunder to advance post-Durant.

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