Blake Griffin on Detroit: ‘This is where I want to be’

The Los Angeles Clippers were able to trade Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons just six months after signing him to a five-year contract extension because he did not negotiate a no-trade clause into his $173 million deal. But in his introductory press conference in Detroit, Griffin admitted he had no regrets about not pushing for the coveted no-trade clause that could have secured his future in L.A.

He just wanted to play somewhere that was for him:

“I want to play for an organization that wants me to play there, and clearly, this was an organization that wanted me to play here,” Griffin said, via The Detroit Free Press’ Vince Ellis. “Being stuck in a no-trade clause, it was something that was brought up, but it wasn’t something that we actually went about, obviously. This is where I want to be. This is a place that wants me, and that’s the type of organization I want to play for. I wouldn’t want to be stuck in a place that it wasn’t working.”

Griffin spent the first half of his career with the Clippers after the franchise drafted him No. 1 overall out of Oklahoma in 2009, and when Chris Paul joined Los Angeles in 2011, the team reached heights it had never seen. The Clippers made six straight playoff appearance, marking the most successful run in franchise history.

But eventually, this wore thin between Griffin, Paul, and DeAndre Jordan, the three pillars that laid the foundation for success in the Lob City era. Reports of strife between teammates began to surface. Griffin’s injury troubles became tougher to swallow, and the on-court performance continued to fall below what management expected. To put it simple, things in Los Angeles just never worked out.

Maybe in Detroit, they will. Griffin is in a career year and has now paired with a new frontcourt powerhouse in Andre Drummond. He’ll now play for a head coach with different offensive philosophies in Stan Van Gundy. The Pistons’ roster might be bare bones, but as Reggie Jackson recovers from injury, the ball will certainly be in Griffin’s hands to make plays.

Griffin says Detroit is where he wants to be, and hopefully that’s the truth. Because talking about it is one thing. Actually showing it on the floor is another.