Stephen A Smith Thinks Blake Griffin Needs To Apologize To Steve Ballmer If He Wants To Go Back To The Clippers

Talk about a take quake. Blake Griffin, fresh off signing his max extension with the Clippers, the organization that pitched him to stay by showing his number retired in the rafters only to trade him 6 months later needs to what now? Apologize? Because he did this?

How on earth does that make any sense. It kind of goes along with what Draymond was talking about last night that Coley blogged this morning

on what planet should Blake Griffin have to apologize to Steve Ballmer? They certainly had no problem trading him to Siberia before the ink was even dry on that new extension. Guess what, if Blake is bought out, it's the Clippers who will have to convince HIM to come back to LA. It's not like Blake will have to beg teams to sign him, especially since he'll be able to sign with anyone he wants for a minimum deal. Even this current version of Blake who isn't exactly playing great will still have a market as a buyout candidate. To think that in order for him to come back to the Clippers he needs to be the one apologizing is flat out backwards. 

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I also don't really agree with Stephen A saying that Ballmer was proven right by trading Blake. I mean, his production was fine until he got hurt. If Ballmer always knew Blake was going to get hurt, why did he even extend him in the first place? The dude put up 19.8/6.6/6.2 right after the trade and then 24.5/7.5/5.4 on 46% shooting in his first full year in Detroit while making the All Star team for crying out loud. How does that prove Ballmer was right to move him? 

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills hearing that take. If the Clippers are even interested, they are the ones that need to sell Blake on a return. Part of that should probably consist of 

"hey Blake, yeah, it was kind of fucked up that we signed you to a max extension only to immediately trade you to a disaster situation. That's on us. You deserved better as one of the best players this franchise has ever seen"

But to think that Blake owes Steve Ballmer any sort of apology? I don't think so. Shit, it wouldn't surprise me if he somehow ends up on a direct competitor to the Clippers simply out of spite. 

I do think Blake can help a contender as a veteran presence, as long as he's healthy. It's a big "if", but if we're talking about a buyout candidate the upside there is probably worth the low risk if you have that positional need. I just know he deserves better than to spend the twilight of his career stuck on a Pistons team that is clearly striving for the high lottery.