NBA Rumors: Blake Griffin Signs 1-Year Celtics Contract After Leaving Nets

The Boston Celtics have agreed to a one-year, fully-guaranteed contract with veteran forward.

He spent the last half of the season with the Nets. He averaged a career-low 6.4 points and 4.1 rebound per game while shooting 42% from the floor in the next two decades.

His career has been ruined by injuries. He's dealt with persistent knee pain for several seasons, taking him from one of the game's best players to someone who could barely hold onto the Nets rotation.

In Brooklyn's first-round series against the Celtics last year, Nets coach Steve Nash benched him for two games and only played 25 minutes of him. Nash took Griffin out of the rotation earlier in the season before he got hurt.

Nash told reporters that he felt for him. It is not easy. It's difficult when you go through a rough patch of play and the world is not always nice. I've been there and know what's going on. At this point, we have to give other guys an opportunity, but that doesn't mean we can't have a good attitude. If his opportunity comes back, he can have an impact.

Despite his brilliance, there is a good chance that he won't be a valuable NBA contributor. The man who once dunked over a car in a dunk contest didn't do it for 15 months. He dunked 13 times last year.

Griffin is a perimeter-bound player because of the lack of explosion near the rim. He made huge strides to become a solid perimeter shooter, but it's not the focal point of his game.

During the early part of the season, he has a chance to carve out a role for himself.

The Celtics are short on frontcourt bodies with center Robert Williams set to miss the start of the season due to a knee injury, and whileGriffin is a completely different player than the defensive minded Williams, he could provide some needed minutes at power forward.