THE Brooklyn Nets signed free agent forward Blake Griffin on Monday.
Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released. The Athletic reported he will earn $1.2 million for the rest of the season.
“We’re fortunate to be able to add a player of Blake’s caliber to our roster at this point in the season,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said in a news release. “Blake is a versatile frontcourt player with a long track record of success in our league, and we’re excited about the impact he’ll make for us both on and off the court in Brooklyn.”
Griffin, who turns 32 next week, agreed to a buyout deal with the Detroit Pistons on Friday and cleared waivers on Sunday.
The six-time All-Star and former No. 1 overall draft pick averaged 12.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 20 games with Detroit this season. He has not played since Feb. 12, having sat out while the Pistons attempted to find a trade partner.
The Nets are expected to use Griffin off the bench — a role he has never had during his 11-year NBA career.
Brooklyn is hoping to make a run at the NBA title behind the star trio of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving.
The Nets are the betting favorite (+300) in the Eastern Conference and second only to the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers (+250) to win the NBA championship, according to DraftKings.
Griffin has career averages of 21.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 642 games. He spent his first seven-plus seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers and parts of the past four campaigns with Detroit. He was the Rookie of the Year in 2010-11, finished third in the MVP voting in 2013-14 and made the All-NBA second team three times and third team twice. — Reuters