A person with direct knowledge of the decision says Blake Griffin has told the Los Angeles Clippers that he is opting out of the final year of his contract and becoming an unrestricted free agent.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because neither Griffin nor the Clippers announced the move publicly.
Griffin has spent his entire career with the Clippers, averaging 21.5 points and 9.4 rebounds in seven seasons. He was due to make $21.4 million next season.
The five-time All-Star was the No. 1 overall pick by the Clippers in the 2009 draft. He missed the entire 2009-10 season with a left knee injury, and a variety of injuries have seen him miss 83 games in the last three regular seasons alone.
Griffin also got hurt in Game 3 of the Clippers’ first-round matchup against Utah this season and never returned. The Clippers lost that series in seven games.
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AP Basketball Writer Jon Krawczynski contributed to this report.
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