The Boston Celtics may look to add depth in the front court after sending big man Robert Williams III to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of the deal that landed Jrue Holiday in the Hub. Fan favorite and former Celtic Blake Griffin has been a popular name in the NBA rumor mill all offseason, but according to team president Brad Stevens, the 34-year-old is considering hanging it up.
In a conversation with the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn, Stevens revealed he initially had to convince Griffin to join the Celtics last season. After a few persistent phone calls, Stevens eventually landed the six-time All-Star in green. Griffin was a helpful contributor off the bench and a leader in the locker room for the Celtics.
Buy Celtics TicketsStevens told Washburn he valued Griffin’s contributions greatly in his first season in Boston and is hopeful Griffin looks to sign up for another stint.
These are the 10 Celtics who played the most seasons with Boston. https://t.co/0KtO4GXIIg
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) October 2, 2023
“I’m not blowing smoke, it was as good as it gets,” Stevens said of Griffin. “He was unbelievable when he played and even better when he didn’t. He has a fan for life from everybody in our organization. You know, if he decides to keep playing, he wants to come back out East, he knows we’re a phone call away.”
Griffin has been open with his praise for the Celtics during the summer offseason period but has yet to indicate his plans for the coming year. It has been widely speculated he would wait until later into the preseason to ink a deal, be it with Boston or elsewhere.
The Celtics have a list of invitees to training camp this year, but there is still enough flexibility on the roster to accommodate Griffin if he chooses to return.
“They all add up, and all the stories … team meeting and things they did off the court as a group,” said Tatum. https://t.co/QxWHKTDIHb
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) October 2, 2023
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