Clippers forward Blake Griffin has informed the team he will not pick up his option for next season, which will make him an unrestricted free agent on July 1. But his recent toe injury could throw a wrench in other teams' pursuit of him.
According to a report from ESPN, the toe injury Griffin suffered in the postseason might keep him sidelined not only for the start of the season, but he could potentially be out as long as December. However, one source, according to ESPN, provided conflicting information on the recovery of the injury that ended his postseason early.
Complicating the matter however, sources told ESPN's Michael Eaves, is that Griffin may not be ready for the start of the next season and could possibly be out until December due to a toe injury that cut short his postseason.
A separate source told Shelburne the team believes Griffin's toe will be healed and he'll likely be ready for the start of the season.
Griffin, the former No. 1 overall pick, has suffered numerous injuries during his time in L.A. His plantar plate injury suffered in the playoffs, however, could be of major concern for Griffin, who is likely to garner big money in free agency. Without a concrete answer on his health status and potentially missing the first part of the NBA season, it could make teams think twice before extending him a long-term deal and offering him millions of dollars.
Adding to the injury concern of Griffin, he also suffered a quad injury in the 2016 playoffs with the Clippers and his team was eliminated in the first round. So whichever team decides to make a push for him in free agency -- whether it be the Clippers pushing to keep him, or another team like the Celtics or Thunder looking to steal him away -- it must be wary about his injury history that has ended his season early in two consecutive years.
