Blake Griffin was reportedly considering season-ending surgery on his left knee. Then, he underwent surgery that the Pistons said would require an “extended rehabilitation period.”
You do the math.
Shams Charania of The Athletic:
Detroit has applied for a $9.2M disabled player exception for the potential season-ending loss of All-Star Blake Griffin, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 10, 2020
The Pistons will get a disabled-player exception only if an NBA-appointed doctor rules Griffin is “substantially more likely than not” to be out through June 15. So, this will provide clarity on the severity of his injury.
Griffin’s surgery, arthroscopic debridement, doesn’t always sideline players that long. I still don’t expect him to play again this season. Detroit is heading toward a lost year, and that could be cemented by trading Andre Drummond. But the DPE decision could indicate whether Griffin sitting late in the season is more medical decision or caution for a 30-year-old on an expensive contract. (A complication: The Pistons’ season will end well before June 15.)
If granted, the disabled-player exception would be worth $9,258,000. Detroit could use it to acquire a player on the last year of his contract via trade, signing or waiver. Most DPEs go unused, but it could be a helpful tool.
