Blake Griffin Trade: Making sense of the shocking move by LA
By Keith Rivas
Demanding a no-trade clause is now a no-brainer
Surprisingly enough, Blake Griffin’s large contract wasn’t enough to keep him for even half of a season. Instead of going to another team, Griffin chose to re-sign with LA for five years and more than $170 million, but now has to relocate to Detroit.
What this means is that the coming free agents this summer and any after them are going to probably seek a no trade clause in their new contract if at all possible to avoid that kind of situation.
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Why?
Well you don’t look at all things considered and then sign a massive deal with a team only to be traded not long before the deadline. The person this particularly is going to affect the most is Thunder forward Paul George, who has been heavily rumored to be in the running as one of the next superstars to come to LA.
However, should George sign back with OKC, it’s doubtful that his contract demands would really be any different, as it’s clear that he wants to be in a place where he and everyone else know they can win a title.
The Blake Griffin trade also shows us that, realistically, nobody is safe unless you are LeBron James. James, who will also be a free agent this summer, will have a chance to leave Cleveland before the locker room drama and lack of quality play fully catch up with him.
If he wanted a no trade clause in his new deal, no team would be stupid enough to have that be their hangup with arguably the best player still in the game and in his fifteenth season.
But for players like Paul George, expect a no trade clause to be more than just a small conversation at the negotiating table. Players know that the NBA is also a business, but for some, they feel they deserve at least some form of job security.
Next: Should Blake Griffin Have Gone To Cleveland Instead?
And as a result of the Blake Griffin trade, that’s completely uncertain moving forward.