The Philadelphia 76ers officially announced the buyout of forward Danny Granger Wednesday, after trading for him at last week's trade deadline for Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen. The move was seen as a salary dump for the Sixers who also received a future second-round pick.
NBA.com reports five teams on Granger's radar as soon as he clears waivers: the Clippers, Rockets, Bulls, Spurs and Heat. ESPN reports the Clippers and Spurs lead the pack; Yahoo says the Clippers have the edge right now.
Granger is averaging 8.3 points and 3.6 rebounds on 36 percent shooting in 29 games for Indiana.
Basketball Hot News
It’s official: Sixers reach buyout with Danny Granger; Clippers frontrunners to land him
Danny Granger is going to get his chance to play for a contender — and his next contract. Which it looks like he will do as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers.
While this has been expected for days it has become official: The Philadelphia 76ers have reached a buyout agreement with Granger, , something first reported by David Aldridge of NBA.com (and TNT). This has been confirmed by CSNPhilly.com. All this means after he clears waivers on Friday Granger will be a free agent with a number of the league’s top teams lining up his services.
“A trade is never easy, especially when you have been with one team your entire career,” Granger said Wednesday in a statement to NBA.com “But, the professionalism, honesty, time and care the Philadelphia 76ers spent on my situation made me feel appreciated and confident we would reach a mutually beneficial resolution. I would personally like to thank the 76ers, General Manager Sam Hinkie, head coach Brett Brown and the rest of their organization for taking the time to get to know me, understand what I am looking for, and help me to find a result that makes the most sense for my future, as well as their own.”
A number of top teams are lined up for Granger: the Spurs, Clippers, Heat, Rockets, Mavericks and Bulls.
However, the Clippers are now the frontrunners reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
Once Granger clears waivers in the next 48 hours, the Clippers’ ability to offer him significant playing time and championship contention under coach Doc Rivers makes them the most attractive destination, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Still, the San Antonio Spurs remain a viable possibility for Granger. The Spurs are selling Granger on a modern-day variation of the Robert Horry role in San Antonio, league sources said. Granger is expected to speak with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and general manager R.C. Buford in the near future, sources said.
The Clippers have been disappointed in the performance of Jared Dudley at the three and now it is Matt Barnes who is getting the starts. Doc Rivers is looking for someone to step up and provide quality minutes at the three and Granger would get his chance to do so.
San Antonio, however, has resurrected more careers because of a great system where they ask players to do what they do well and not play to their weaknesses.
Granger ended up in Philly in a deadline trade that sent Evan Turner to the Pacers. Indy thought Turner would be a better fit in their sixth man role.
Granger averaged 8.3 points a game for the Pacers this season after returning from multiple knee surgeries. The former All-Star has looked rusty and older, with a true shooting percentage of just 49.1 and a PER of 10.4. He was never comfortable as the sixth man in Indiana and teams are betting that a change of scenery brings him back closer to his former self.
With the buyout Granger will be a free agent this summer (unless the Clippers offer multiple years, which is unlikely). Granger is not only playing for a title but his next payday now.
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