Blake Griffin Reportedly Clippers' Top Priority, Will Have Free-Agency Meeting

After trading Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets, the Los Angeles Clippers can turn their focus toward re-signing Blake Griffin.

The Southern California News Group's Bill Oram reported Thursday the Clippers will have an informal meeting with Griffin's agent Friday. Oram added that Griffin remains the Clippers' "top priority."

The Clippers are at least the second team that will have a meeting with the five-time All-Star power forward. The Los Angeles Times' Brad Turner reported he will have an official visit with the Phoenix Suns when free agency begins Saturday.

For some, the Paul trade would seemingly push Griffin away from Los Angeles since the team lost one of its best players. According to the Turner, however, the Clippers are confident that Paul's departure increases their chances of getting Griffin to stay.

When it comes to Griffin's final decision, the stakes couldn't be much higher for the Clippers.

If he stays, then the team can remain a title contender for the short term—though Los Angeles would likely need to add another star to be a serious threat for the Golden State Warriors' Western Conference supremacy.

If Griffin leaves, then things start getting bleak for the Clippers, especially considering DeAndre Jordan only has one more guaranteed year left on his deal. While it might be a stretch to say losing Griffin would necessitate a full-scale rebuild, Los Angeles would at least be facing a few lean years before it assembled another star-laden roster.