Well it seemed like the NBA world had decided to chill out on Friday after the wild week leading up to the draft, but all of sudden, there is big news out of Los Angeles.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, Los Angeles Clippers star forward Blake Griffin has decided to opt out of the final year of his contract in order to become a free agent.
This decision by Griffin is not all that surprising, and was seen as a real possibility even before both Griffin's and the Clippers' seasons ended in forgettable circumstances. Griffin went down to a season-ending injury vs. Utah in the first round of the playoffs as the Clippers lost Game 7 to the Jazz at home.
It marked the second-straight first-round exit for the Clippers, as the Griffin-Chris Paul-DeAndre Jordan core once again fell short of expectations. With Chris Paul also having the ability to become a free agent this summer, and J.J. Redick an unrestricted free agent, this felt like it could be the end of an era in Los Angeles.
Griffin could of course decide to return, as could Paul and Redick, but Griffin's decision to enter free agency is the first step towards the Clippers looking much different than they have the past half-decade or so.
Along with the Clippers, Griffin will have numerous suitors, including the Celtics, a connection that was fueled by some Instagram follows in recent days.
