Blake Griffin – Detroit Pistons
If there is one player who deserves a change of scenery in the NBA, it is definitely Blake Griffin. He is such a high-level talent that often gets disrespected and deserves better than to be a part of a rebuilding franchise in the Detroit Pistons.
Although Blake Griffin has a massive contract, as he is owed $36.6M this season with a player option for 2021-22, he is a dominant, true power forward that can still be one of the top offensive weapons on a team.
Last season, Blake Griffin spent most of the year on the bench due to a knee injury that required surgery. As a result, last season was the first season in which Griffin averaged less than 20 points per game since the 2012-13 season, in which he made the NBA All-Star team. The six-time NBA All-Star still has plenty of years left in the league, as he is only 31-years old, and should be one of the top targets for a team that does not have much depth or talent in their frontcourt.
Looking back on what Detroit gave up to get Blake Griffin back in 2018, they made out very well in that trade. The Pistons gave up Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic and a first-round pick for the high-flying forward and they may not want to move on from him yet. Since joining the Pistons, Blake Griffin has become more of an outside shooting threat and has been “the guy” for the organization.
If Detroit was to move on from Blake Griffin, not only would they have to find someone who is willing to take on his massive contract, but they would have to give up a lot of draft assets as well, which is something they may not be too keen on doing. Griffin can be used as the star talent on a young roster and be a mentor for the young Pistons players, so the only real reason they would trade him is if he requested a trade.
As it stands right now, there are no indications that Blake Griffin wants out of Detroit and intends on returning to the court for the Pistons this upcoming season. This does not mean he cannot be traded at the trade deadline, which still remains a high possibility, but Griffin seems to be content with his situation in Detroit.
The Blake Griffin-Detroit Pistons relationship should be something to watch over the next few months because anything can change at any time and Griffin could hit the trade market sooner than later at this point in his career.
