In a shocking, blockbuster trade, the Los Angeles Clippers have shipped star forward Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, a 1st-round draft pick, and a 2nd-round draft pick.
The move comes just hours after the story broke that the Pistons had made Bradley available for trade. I wrote an entire article on Bradley's potential landing spots, including the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder, only for this trade with the Clippers to be announced as I was seconds away from hitting publish.
My predictions, and the general consensus around the league, was Bradley would be shipped to a playoff contender in need of his elite defense and solid three-point shooting.
The Clippers aren't out of playoff contention, sitting 9th in the West at 25-24, so technically they fit the bill. But I was expecting a team near the top of the playoff race to acquire Bradley, not one currently on the outside looking in.
And by acquiring Bradley, Harris, and Marjanovic, the Clippers aren't even punting this season away. They'll still be in solid contention to finish in the lower half of the Western Conference playoffs. Though they probably won't advance far, they weren't really poised to with Griffin either.
Last summer, Griffin inked a 5-year, $171 million contract with Los Angeles. The Pistons are now responsible for the remainder of his contract, over $30 million per year. This might have been why the Clippers were ready to unload him, freeing up financial security. But then, why sign him last summer in the first place?
Griffin is averaging 22.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists (a career-high) per game this season. The Pistons will pair the big man with Andre Drummond in an effort to dominate teams in the paint. It worked for the New Orleans Pelicans most of the season, bullying the opposition with the tandem of Anthony Davis and the now-injured DeMarcus Cousins. In this style of play, the other three starters don't all have to be great for success.
Looking at who the Clippers acquired, Tobias Harris has to be the highlight. At only 25 years old, the forward is averaging a career-high 18.1 points per game on 45% shooting and 41% three-point shooting. Bradley, once thought to be the center piece of any potential Pistons trade, offers 15.0 points per game and solid three point shooting on an expiring contract. His 0.55 points per isolation play allowed this season is the best mark in the NBA among guards.
Harris has two years left on his contract, Bradley's is expiring as mentioned, and Marjanovic, a solid role-playing center in limited minutes, also has two years. And the Clippers will have two draft picks, one in the first round and one in the second round. So in the future, even if Bradley walks, Los Angeles will have four players to show for it.
Could the Clippers have gotten a start back for Blake Griffin? Possibly, but they wouldn't get the load of players they got from Detroit. Obviously this marks the end of an era for the Clippers, with Chris Paul and Griffin both being gone. But they have the pieces in place to start a new era and build a new roster.
From the Pistons perspective, they did give up a good amount of assets. Harris was their second most important player after Andre Drummond, and both Harris and Bradley were starters. Even with the addition of Griffin, the Pistons roster as a whole becomes weaker and they can probably kiss the playoffs goodbye this year.
But heading to the future, Detroit will have the opportunity to build around the tandem of Drummond and Griffin. Add another top-tier player to the starting lineup, surround them with quality bench players, and the team isn't looking so bad. Size is harder to come by in the Eastern Conference, so the Pistons will use it to their advantage against many conference foes.
The Los Angeles Clippers get an A- for acquiring enough talent to still make the playoffs this year, setting themselves up for future success, and unloading Griffin's massive contract.
The Detroit Pistons get a B- for acquiring the star forward, but they had to give up two starters and a first-round pick to do so. Still, Detroit has a solid frontcourt to build around in the future.
Apparently, Blake Griffin was just as surprised as the rest of us...
Apparently, Blake Griffin was just as surprised as the rest of us...
— Blake Griffin (@blakegriffin32) January 30, 2018
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