Blake Griffin – PF – Detroit Pistons

The Boston Celtics have been a team that has been linked to Blake Griffin for a while now. Over the years, trade rumors have surfaced about the Celtics possibly pursuing Griffin from the time he was with the Clippers, to now being with the Pistons.

While his contract would be tough for the Celtics to bring in, they could possibly make it work if they are willing to pay some taxes on this team to be a championship contender. Adding Griffin to the mix in the frontcourt would help Boston more than they would imagine and here is why.

In order to bring in Blake Griffin, the Celtics would have to part ways with Marcus Smart and likely either Romeo Langord or Daniel Theis. By giving up Smart, Jaylen Brown can move back to shooting guard, Jayson Tatum to small forward, and then the Celtics would have Blake Griffin and Tristan Thompson in the frontcourt.

That is a championship starting rotation in itself and given the Celtics’ struggles over the years in the playoffs, this is what they would need to push them over the edge. Marcus Smart is a great perimeter defender and has been getting better as a shooter, but Griffin is an avid rebounder, who can open up the court a lot for guys like Brown and Tatum given his abilities to knock down shots from the perimeter.

Not to mention, Blake Griffin has a player option for next season, meaning the Celtics would not be committed to him long-term if he was not the key to them winning a championship. If the opportunity arises, going out and trading for Blake Griffin would cost the Celtics’ ownership some money, but would make them even with some of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

This year’s Celtics team is a very athletic group of young players and bringing in an athletic veteran to bolster their depth in the frontcourt would go a long way in their success. It makes perfect sense for Blake Griffin to be a target for Boston and pairing him with Kemba, Brown and Tatum gives the Celtics one heck of a starting lineup.