Celtics reportedly sign Blake Griffin
The Celtics are adding a six-time All-Star to their roster as they wrap up their first week of training camp.
Blake Griffin has agreed to join the Celtics on a one-year deal that’s fully guaranteed, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday. The Celtics recently scouted Griffin at workouts in Los Angeles and saw enough to sign him to a veteran minimum deal, The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach reported.
Boston’s decision to add Griffin comes a week after starting center Robert Williams underwent arthroscopic surgery that will force him to miss 8-to-12 weeks. With Williams missing at least the first month of the season, the Celtics’ big-man depth was considered thin as Luke Kornet ran with the starting lineup at practice this week.
Griffin, 33, was one of the game’s most dynamic players after the Clippers drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick in 2009. After sitting out his rookie season due to injury, Griffin was named an All-Star five straight seasons and earned four All-NBA nods during that stretch. The power forward averaged 21.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game with the Clippers over eight seasons.
Los Angeles traded Griffin to Detroit before the trade deadline in 2018. Griffin had a mini-resurgence with the Pistons, scoring a career-high 24.5 points per game in Detroit during the 2018-19 season, earning him an All-Star nod.
However, a left knee injury that caused Griffin to have a pair of surgeries forced him to play in just 38 games over the next two seasons. Griffin’s contract was bought out by the Pistons in March 2021.
Griffin thought about joining the Celtics after getting bought out in 2021 but opted to join the Nets, where he’s played the last two seasons. He’s scored 7.5 points and grabbed 4.3 rebounds per game while mostly coming off the bench over 82 games with the Nets.