Blake Griffin was traded away by the LA Clippers nearly a year ago, but some of the wounds still appear to be lingering.
In an in-depth piece that ran Tuesday on the All-Star big’s blockbuster move to the Detroit Pistons and subsequent adjustment, ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz revealed that Griffin has not spoken to any of the Clippers’ principals since being dealt. This includes president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank, who spoke with Griffin the morning of the trade to inform him of substantive discussions with Detroit and subsequently called Griffin upon the deal being finalized as well, only for Griffin to decline to answer. Also in that category are head coach Doc Rivers, who called Griffin ten minutes after Frank, and owner Steve Ballmer, who called later, with both attempts also going unanswered.
“I get it,” Griffin was quoted as saying. “Basketball is a business and they said what they had to say at the time, and that’s what I wanted to do. The only thing I wish is that [the trade] had gone down differently.”
Griffin, who will return to play the Clippers in Los Angeles for the first time since being traded, also said that he had no regrets about re-signing with the team two summers ago. He furthemore added that does not hold a grudge about their elaborate (and now notorious) “Clipper For Life” pitch.
The 29-year-old spent his first eight career seasons with the Clippers and helping springboard the franchise from laughingstock to one of the league’s top attractions. The trade that sent Griffin to Detroit last January netted the Clippers players like Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, and Boban Marjanovic, all of whom have aided their impressive run to the West’s No. 4 seed this season. Griffin, meanwhile, is averaging a career-high 25.3 points (plus 8.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game) on a Pistons team that is currently ninth in the East.
Griffin did already face the Clippers for the first time last February (albeit in Detroit), and the iciness over the trade was apparent then as well.
