Blake Griffin's Career Earnings After Pistons Buyout, Nets Contract

Blake Griffin is reportedly headed to the Brooklyn Nets, and the move has several different factors that will affect his career earnings moving forward.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Griffin will join the Nets on a veteran minimum contract slot after agreeing to a buyout with the Detroit Pistons that reportedly cost him $13.3 million, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

He was set to earn $75 million with the Pistons between this season and the 2021-22 campaign. 

As it stands, Griffin has amassed $255 million in career earning through his 12 years in the NBA, per Wojnarowski. 

The bulk of his career was spent with the Los Angeles Clippers before they traded him to the Detroit Pistons less than one full season into a five-year, $171 million max deal. That's the team that's credited with $113.7 million of his career earnings.

In his first full season with the Pistons, Griffin broke out to earn his first All-Star nod in five seasons, though injuries moved in to limit him through the next two seasons.

Through 20 games for the Pistons this season, he averaged 12.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists. 

He'll wrap up his career in Detroit having earned $112.6 million with the Pistons. 

Now, he'll join the Nets' superteam, where he'll earn $1.2 million, per Spotrac. On the court, he'll be working alongside James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, where he'll be used "as a small-ball center alternative" off of the bench. 

As for his financial future, Griffin will enter free agency next season, and if he wants to return to Brooklyn, he'd have to take a pay cut. Wojnarowski reported that the Nets will be in the luxury tax for 2021-22, and they'd have to cut Griffin's salary down to no more than $5.9 million.