Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and he'll have plenty of suitors when he does. Griffin has said that he wants to stay with the Clippers, but if Los Angeles doesn't offer him a five-year max deal (and there's a chance they won't), he may be playing elsewhere next season. So, which teams would be the biggest threats to sign him away from the Clippers? Here are the top three:
3) Los Angeles Lakers
Griffin loves living in Los Angeles and all of the marketing opportunities that come with it, and the Lakers would give him the opportunity to stay there. Of course, they're not a contender, but with a promising young nucleus and the expected arrival of Paul George in a year or two, the Lakers make sense from an on-court perspective. If they offer Griffin a max deal - and if George tells him that he's eventually going to LA - Griffin will definitely take a meeting.
2) Boston Celtics
Boston is searching for another star to pair with Isaiah Thomas, and they've had previous conversations with the Clippers about a possible trade, showing their interest in him. They will have enough cap space to sign someone to a max contract and they could land Griffin without having to give up any of their trade assets.
Boston is already a contender, and they may be the favorite in the East in 2017-18 if they sign Griffin. The only question is whether the Celtics prefer him or a trade for Jimmy Butler.
1) Oklahoma City Thunder
Griffin is an OKC native, and the Thunder have been planning their pursuit of Griffin ever since Westbrook signed his extension with the team. They have cap space and the probable MVP in Westbrook, appealing to both of Griffin's on-court and off-court sensibilities. Given their contender status, they are easily the biggest threat to sign Griffin away from the Clippers.
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