Blake Griffin surprised absolutely no one on Friday when he reportedly opted out of the remaining year of his contract with the Clippers.
Even if Griffin plans to re-sign in Los Angeles, becoming a free agent this summer allows him to make the most possible money. The Clippers can offer a five-year deal worth almost $180 million, while the rest of the NBA can sign Griffin to a four-year contract in the neighborhood of $130 million.
Griffin would have to be rather fed up with L.A. and his teammates to leave that much money on the table, yet his return to the Clippers is far from a sure thing.