Charlotte Hornets Trade Rumors: Michael Jordan Will Recruit Blake Griffin If He Opts Out
First of all, Blake Griffin is not really a free agent right now. But he's expected to opt out of the final year of his contract this summer and once that happens, he will become one of the most sought-after free agents in the market.
Interestingly, The Ringer's Tate Frazier has reported that Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan is going to do some recruiting himself if Griffin hits the open market this offseason, and he added that Jordan Brand "will be a big talking point."
Griffin is already one of Jordan Brand's biggest endorsers, so maybe Jordan can spice up the deal to lure the All-Star forward to the Hornets. Of course, it should be noted that Frazier did not reveal where he heard this rumor, so readers are advised to take this with a grain of salt for now.
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Since the Hornets don't have the cap space to sign Griffin right away, Frazier also suggested trading away Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Cody Zeller and Miles Plumlee. That's easier said than done, though.
Kidd-Gilchrist and Zeller are solid role players especially on the defensive end of the floor, so finding a trade partner for them shouldn't be a problem. But trading Plumlee is a different matter.
His contract is a bit of a head-scratcher because he's going to get paid $12.5 million annually through the 2019–2020 season. Aside from the Hornets, no other team will pay a center who barely plays that much money. Unfortunately, they may have to find a way to get rid of him if they want to sign Griffin.
Signing Griffin seems more like a pipe dream right now, but Jerry Stephens of Swarm and Sting still thinks it's an attainable goal.
"With the team set to wear Jordan brand uniforms next season, giving Blake a signature shoe or pushing him as a center point of the company could be an intriguing tactic to sign him. MJ and Griffin's relationship could help the Hornets' chances of bringing him to the Queen City," Stephens stated in his report.
