On January 19, Beijing time, NBA salary expert Bobby Marx made a guest appearance on a podcast show about the potential operation of the Nets, and he believed that Griffin and Millsap were at risk of being cut, on the grounds that the Nets needed to free up two places to sign two players with two-way contracts, Edwards and Duke.
Griffin has averaged 5.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists this season, shooting just 37.1 percent from the field and 20.7 percent from three-point range. He also went from starting center at the beginning of the season to Nash's outcast, and even though he has had some playing time recently due to the Nets' lack of insiders, the competitive state is still very bad.
Edwards and Duke, on the other hand, averaged 8.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game and shot 42.9 percent from three-point range, which has become a big surprise for the Nets. The latter averaged 6.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, and although his three-point shooting ability was unstable, the defensive end was tough and also showed good potential.
Both newcomers are currently on two-way contracts, but according to the NBA's regulations this season, players with two-way contracts are not allowed to play in the playoffs. That's why the salary expert thinks Griffin and Millsap may give way.
So would the Nets make that choice? Frankly, there may be some possibilities for the 37-year-old Millsap to be laid off, but the possibility of Griffin being laid off is very low, which is determined by 3 reasons.
First, although Griffin is not in good shape at present, after all, his experience is there, and the newcomers may perform better in the regular season, but in the playoffs, it is difficult to say whether inexperienced them can stand up. From that point of view, the Nets should keep Griffin.
Second, even if the Nets want to correct the two newcomers, do they have to move Griffin? As mentioned earlier, Millsap in the same position is in worse form than Griffin, and on the defensive line, the ineffective Javin Carter is obviously more suitable for cutting or trading players. So in the case of only 2 people to be cut, it is not surprising that griffin's head cannot be cut.
Third, Griffin sacrificed a lot of money in the Nets' championship that year, and he did well last season, but after the season, he still only signed a basic salary contract with the Nets. Griffin is so affectionate with the Nets, and if the Nets are too unintentional, it is easy to chill the hearts of other players, which is obviously not worth the loss.
So despite the rumors of layoffs, Griffin didn't panic at all. However, since there are already voices of layoffs, it also shows that Griffin's performance is really not good, which gives this rumor the opportunity to spread, and he also needs to work harder to adjust the state and strive to regain Nash's trust as soon as possible.