Celtics sign Blake Griffin to one-year contract

Griffin spent the last season-and-a-half with the Brooklyn Nets, after taking a contract buyout from the Detroit Pistons in 2020-21. He was a valuable supporting piece that season, averaging 10 points per game in a complementary role alongside Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, hitting 38% of his three-pointers and starting all 12 of their playoff games. Griffin's shooting declined last year, but he still played 56 games for Brooklyn, starting 24.

Once a high-flying dunk champion, a series of injuries to his knees, back and feet have robbed Griffin of his former athleticism. He's retooled his game to become a three-point shooter, taking nearly half his shots outside of the arc the last two seasons. Griffin doesn't dunk over cars anymore — he's mainly a distributor and an outside shooter, who's better at creating looks for others than for himself. And his days at power forward are virtually done — he played center 84% of the time last year.

Despite his limitations, Griffin was probably the best of limited options for the Celtics, who simply needed legitimate NBA players to round out a rotation that wasn't deep even before all their injuries. At worst, Griffin can give Williams and Gallinari advice about rehab. He'll also get very pumped for games against former coach Doc Rivers and the 76ers, and the Nets, who tossed him aside in the offseason. And the turmoil about Ime Udoka's relationships won't phase Griffin: He used to date a Kardashian.