New York Knicks Receive: F Blake Griffin
Detroit Pistons Receive: F Julius Randle, DAL 2021 1st Round Pick, CHA 2021 2nd Round Pick
If the Detroit Pistons are willing to trade Blake Griffin, this is likely the best trade package they could get for him given his knee issues over the years and the fact that he is owed more money than most teams could take in. The New York Knicks though are in a position where they need a big-name player and would be willing to take on his big contract.
While he played in just 18 games last season, Blake Griffin has been solid ever since he got traded to Detroit. In 118 games with the Pistons, not counting this current season, Blake Griffin has averaged 19.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and has shot 41.6% from the floor, 31.8% from three-point range.
He is not the player he once was, especially after his recent knee injuries, but he is still more than capable of being one of the top players on any team and would be a great mentor to the young players on the Knicks.
Julius Randle has spent one season in New York and it was one of the best seasons of his young career. Randle started in all 64 games he played in with the Knicks last season and averaged 19.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, and shot 46% from the floor. Whether it is the center or power-forward position, Randle is a guy that can be moved around the court and has seemed to finally find his role in the NBA as a low-post threat.
In addition to Julius Randle in this trade, the first-round draft pick that Detroit would receive in return for Griffin is extremely valuable. This first-round pick comes from the Dallas Mavericks in the trade that sent All-Star Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavs and is likely to be a 20-30 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Given that the Pistons are trying to acquire as much youthful talent as possible and build a young core for future success, it would make sense for them to want to acquire this pick, especially since they do not have a first-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Acquiring a second-round pick as well would give them two second-round picks in 2021 that they could then flip for a late first-round pick on draft night.
The draft assets Detroit gets in this trade give them many options in terms of adding young talent to their roster and would speed up their rebuild process greatly. Let’s take a closer look as to why this trade makes sense for both the New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons.
