Blake Griffin bought out, Boston interested – is a he a good fit for the Celtics?

The Boston Celtics are in need of veteran depth at the four, and Blake Griffin is about to get out of his current situation with the Detroit Pistons — could the two parties make for a good fit to finish out this season together? The New York Times’ Marc Stein notes both Boston and the Brooklyn Nets are interested, as a point of departure.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Griffin’s contract will be bought out by Detroit, and despite the veteran forward’s comparative struggles this season, there will likely be several other teams styling themselves contenders inquiring about his services once he clears waivers.

That’s because while knee and other injuries have robbed Griffin of his iconic explosive athleticism in recent years, the soon-to-be ex-Piston has also reinvented his game in ways which can help plenty of ball clubs when healthy.

The six-time All-Star is now a shooter who can distribute the rock, though the last two seasons are a bit of a concern in terms of shooting efficiency. This and last season, Griffin connected on just 28.1% of his 3-pointers, but before that he shot a high-volume 6.3 attempts at 35.5% for the prior four seasons. Which version would he be on a team where he cares about winning, and isn't a focal point of opposing defenses? https://twitter.com/TheCelticsWire/status/1367761816537939970?s=20

Even with his accuracy issues, he's still grabbing 5.2 rebounds and dishing 3.9 assists per game with Detroit this season, and his veteran knowledge of the game would be a big boost to most benches, including Boston's. Whether the role he'd have would be enough for him to consider signing with the Celtics is an open question, and Boston would have to cut or move a player to have the space available to sign him. Our hunch is the Nets or one of the Los Angeles teams -- a favorite haunt of his for many years -- are more likely destinations. https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=EnNY6uWVZv-1185937-8380&autoplay=on&V=2&format=json [lawrence-related id=47456,47435,47419,47393] [listicle id=47348]

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