On Monday the landscape of the NBA was significantly impacted when the Los Angeles Clippers traded away their superstar power forward, Blake Griffin, to the Detroit Pistons. Detroit packaged a group of Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic, a 2018 first round pick, and a 2018 second round pick. The Clippers also shipped out backup bigs Willie Reed and Brice Johnson. The trade included six players and two draft picks in total.
Blake Griffin, the major piece moved in the trade, is an eight-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA big man. He possesses a career average of 22 points, seven rebounds, and five assists per game. The 28-year-old spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Clippers before the trade on Monday. He has become known as a staple star in the league and this trade took the NBA by shock. He was the first “superstar” to get moved this season as the trade deadline looms on February 8th.
This trade signifies the paths each franchise is taking as they move forward.
Stan Van Gundy is in desperation mode as the Pistons have struggled since Reggie Jackson went down with an ankle sprain. Griffin will give Detroit a “star” level player to pair with All-Star Andre Drummond and Jackson when he returns in a few weeks. Van Gundy is trying to salvage what was once a promising season. Sitting at 26-26, Detroit is currently on the outside looking in on the playoff picture. Griffin will immediately alleviate some of the struggles Detroit is having while bringing his talented play-making abilities to a team in dire need of them.
The Pistons are still incomplete. Depth becomes an issue for Detroit, specifically on the wing. Reggie Bullock and Stanley Johnson start on the wings for Detroit, which leaves just Luke Kennard and Langston Galloway, who Van Gundy has been reluctant to play, as the only wings off the bench. Both players are best suited as shooting guards, which leaves Detroit with no backup small forwards. With Reggie Jackson still out with a Grade 3 ankle sprain, the Pistons are also short at the point guard spot. Ish Smith has filled in valiantly for Jackson, but has been exposed on the defensive end as he does not have the size to be even an adequate defender. Dwight Buycks, who Detroit originally signed to a two-way contract in the offseason, has managed the backup point guard duties with Jackson out, but Van Gundy has also been reluctant to trust him.
The Clippers have chosen to go in a different direction. After Chris Paul departed in the offseason, it was clear that Los Angeles no longer had the talent to continue to compete in the Western Conference. Yet, they still re-signed Blake Griffin. As they battled just to remain around the .500 mark, it became more and more apparent that they did not have enough talent to even make a push for a top six seed. Jerry West and the rest of the Clippers management decided it was time for “Lob City” to end and finally begin a rebuild.
Los Angeles was able to net a considerable haul for their former top overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. Playerwise, Tobias Harris was the big return. He has averaged a career-high 18.1 points per game this season while shooting a proficient 40.9 percent from the 3-point line. Harris, who is still only 25, will be a solid contributor on a team-friendly contract. He is a hard worker and was widely regarded as a great person on and off the court in the Detroit Pistons organization.
Avery Bradley and Boban Marjanovic were the other players the Clippers received. Bradley is a free agent at the end of the season and Boban Marjanovic is a free agent following the 2018-2019 season. Clipper fans have clamored for a Patrick Beverly/Bradley backcourt, but the chances of that happening seem slim. Beverly is out for the rest of the season and Bradley is an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. Nonetheless, Bradley is a competitor and can provide a veteran presence for a team headed into rebuilding mode.
Likely the most important aspect Clippers’ General Manager Lawrence Frank looked at when contemplating this trade was the value Blake Griffin had pick-wise. Frank was able to net Detroit’s first-round pick for this upcoming draft as well as a 2019 second round pick. The first round pick could prove to be a good one, as uncertainty surrounds the fit of Griffin with Detroit and their playoff possibilities. But, the Pistons have begun to show signs of life with Stanley Johnson and Reggie Bullock playing better basketball. If Griffin does fit with Detroit and the team sneaks back into the playoffs, then the pick becomes less valuable. Either way, a first-round pick is a first-round pick and Los Angeles was able to get one.
The Clippers only had one first-round pick heading into this offseason, which would have been unfortunate considering the state the franchise is in. Now with a semi-young player in Tobias Harris and another first-round pick in the upcoming draft, the Clippers have much more to look forward to this offseason.
It is too early to say who won this trade. What we do know is that with this move both teams have chosen the path in which they intend to go down. If it works, remains to be seen.
