A big trade occurred in the National Basketball Association (NBA) last Monday, Jan. 29, wherein Los Angeles Clippers superstar power forward, Blake Griffin, was traded to the Detroit Pistons. Even though sports analysts agree that Griffin's talents would be useful in Detroit, it is important to note that there are a lot of risks that need to be addressed regarding the recent swap.
In exchange for Griffin, the Los Angeles Clippers acquired Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic, a protected first-round draft pick and a second-round pick. On the other hand, the Detroit Pistons got Brice Johnson and Willie Reed on top of Griffin. Given the deal that transpired last Monday, it is apparent that the Clippers have given up on gunning for the championship for this year.
Judging from the swap, the Clippers are aggressively gearing toward rebuilding their franchise, especially since the Clippers did not gain a talent that is even remotely equivalent or close to that of Griffin's calibre. For the Detroit Pistons, however, it is safe to assume that their already young roster could use the veteran experience and explosive talent that Griffin can bring to their franchise.
What makes the trade most shocking is the fact that Griffin previously signed a multi-million free agency deal with the Clippers during the preseason, which made the public assume that he would never leave the organization. Specifically, Griffin signed a deal for $173 million. However, since it is quite clear that the Clippers are attempting to rebuild their franchise, they would need to keep their salary cap open for prospects.
It may seem that the Pistons won the trade by acquiring Griffin, but this move may just prove to be uneventful in the future if they fail to make the playoffs. Perhaps it may have been a mistake to trade Harris, especially since he has contributed significantly to the offense of the Pistons and showed significant potential as a scorer.
