Notes from the Atlantic: Trent, Raptors, Celtics, Griffin, Sixers

Notes from the Atlantic: Trent, Raptors, Celtics, Griffin, Sixers.

Notes from the Atlantic: Trent, Raptors, Celtics, Griffin, Sixers
2024-02-27 @ 10:48 a.m. CST • Written by Luke Adams
Blake Griffin hasn’t been on an NBA roster at all in 2023–24 despite playing in 41 games with the Celtics the previous season. Nonetheless, Griffin would still be in Boston if it were up to the players of the Boston Celtics.

Guards Derrick White and Payton Pritchard revealed during an interview on the Pardon My Take podcast that multiple Celtics players attempted to persuade Griffin to join with the team early in the 23–24 league season, as Brian Robb of MassLive.com writes.

White remarked, “I believe the entire team has been pleading with him to.”

“Actually, a week or two ago, I joked in a text to him, ‘Coming back for one last ride?'” Pritchard continued. “He claims to be content with his life.”

Several Celtics players reportedly contacted Griffin about a potential comeback during the team’s December West Coast road trip, according to Robb. To spend more time with his family, the six-time All-Star has chosen to sit out this season, according to Robb.

When questioned on Monday on White and Pritchard’s remarks about Griffin, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla replied, “He told me at the end of last year that his family was the most important thing and I stopped talking to him about it.”

More from across the Atlantic are as follows:

According to Jay King of The Athletic, who investigates whether any conference opponents may actually catch Boston, the Celtics have controlled the top place in the Eastern Conference for all but six days this season and seem very likely to maintain it. With just 25 games remaining, the Celtics lead the No. 2 Cavaliers by 7.5 games.
The Sixers have failed to establish a pattern, losing nine of their last 13 games, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription needed). This month, players have been in and out of the rotation due to injuries and trade deadline moves, making Joel Embiid unavailable. “There are numerous variant combinations of.

“And we’re trying to make sure when we’re doing stuff that we can figure it out and get more on the same page,” head coach Nick Nurse stated. When things get hard, it might be a little jumbled at times.”
Despite having a fantastic 41.4% three-point shooting percentage, Gary Trent Jr.’s season has felt a little disappointing overall, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Trent is a free agency this summer; Koreen questions whether this judgment is accurate and whether the Raptors would re-sign him. Koreen argues that a multiyear offer for approximately $20MM year, or the mid-level exemption, could be fair for the 25-year-old.