The Detroit Pistons finished last season with a 20-46 record, ranking just 13th in the Eastern Conference a year after ending the regular season at .500 (41-41) and making the playoffs as the eighth seed. All of this is, in theory, bringing us to Blake Griffin trade theories.
While head coach Dwane Casey said that the Pistons will look to retool instead of rebuild in the offseason, some of their recent moves suggest otherwise. Earlier this year, Detroit traded center Andre Drummond to the Cleveland Cavaliers, then bought out guard Reggie Jackson and forward Markieff Morris.
Should the Pistons continue pivoting toward a rebuild, another move that they could make would be to trade big man Blake Griffin.
Griffin, who has two years remaining in his contract, will reportedly have a market should Detroit consider dealing him to another team. However, despite interest from multiple teams about how the 31-year old can help them, ESPN’s Zach Lowe says that the market for the six-time All Star will not be strong. After averaging career-best numbers in his first full year in Detroit after being traded from the Los Angeles Clippers, Griffin was limited to just 18 games last season because of two surgeries on his left knee.
Here are a few possible destinations should the Pistons choose to move on from the former Rookie of the Year and Slam Dunk champion:
3. Houston Rockets
Though he averaged career-low numbers last season, Blake Griffin is just a year removed from his best year in the NBA, when he put up 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists, shooting 46.2% from the field and 36.2% from beyond the arc in 75 games in his first full season in Detroit. If he can stay healthy, the Griffin is someone who can still help a playoff team.
One perennial playoff team looking to make moves this offseason is the Rockets, who parted ways with head coach Mike D’Antoni and general manager Daryl Morey after fully committing to their small-ball experiment last season. While Houston still does not have a coach as of the moment, D’Antoni’s replacement may may want to have another big man aside from PJ Tucker.
Going to the Rockets gives Griffin another All Star partner in James Harden, who, despite another early playoff exit, remains the league’s deadliest scorer and remains in his prime. Should the Rockets stick with Harden, they will likely include his co-star Russell Westbrook in a potential deal with the Pistons.
Westbrook will enter the third year of a massive contract that he signed while he was still with Oklahoma City, but after a sub-par postseason in his first year in Houston, the Pistons may not have to give up much to acquire the 2017 Most Valuable Player. Having Griffin as their small ball center allows Harden and the Rockets to remain competitive, while giving Westbrook a chance to be the leader of a young Pistons team.
2. Miami Heat
Throughout their incredible Finals run, the Heat were said to be playing with house money, and now that the offseason is here, the rest of the NBA waits to see what they will do with it. Miami has two All Stars in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, along with young, talented players like Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn.
A year after acquiring Butler from the Philadelphia 76ers and nailing their drat picks, Pat Riley will look to go hunting after big stars, with the team being reportedly linked to names like reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Heat could also go after Blake Griffin, which would give them a productive big man who can score, spread the floor, rebound, and pass. This will also give Griffin his best chance at competing for a title since his days with Chris Paul and the Clippers. However, it seems unlikely that Riley would be willing to part ways with Adebayo in a potential deal with the Pistons, especially after the breakout year that he just had.
Should Detroit consider the Heat as a trade partner, they will likely be offered a package that doesn’t include either of their All Stars, especially with their eyes set on bigger targets in the 2021 offseason. However, trading for Griffin will improve last year's team that made the Finals while offering them a contingency should Antetokounmpo choose to remain with the Milwaukee Bucks or go elsewhere.
1. Philadelphia 76ers
Despite entering the season with great expectations after acquiring center Al Horford from the Boston Celtics, the Sixers finished with a 43-30 record, giving them just the sixth seed in the East. A combination of injuries to All-Stars Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid — and chemistry issues — contributed to their disappointing campaign, which ended in a first round exit and the departure of coach Brett Brown.
With Doc Rivers now in charge, Philadelphia will look to find a player that will be a better fit with Simmons and Embiid than Horford. Rivers may not have to look no further than Griffin, whom he coached for seven seasons with the Clippers.
In Blake Griffin, the Sixers would get an upgrade over Horford while also allowing them to get rid of the massive $109 contract he signed last year when he joined the team. Having the 34-year old Horford, meanwhile, gives the Pistons a player who has been durable for most of his career, while also providing scoring, shooting, and solid defense, even serving as a mentor to their young players.
The risk for the Sixers, however, is that they will be acquiring another big man who is just a year removed from missing most of the season due to injury and will be teaming up with their All Stars who have also struggled with injuries. But if he can remain healthy like he did two seasons ago with the Pistons, Blake Griffin gets his former coach another offensive weapon alongside Simmons, Embiid, and Tobias Harris and gives them another chance to compete in a rapidly improving Eastern Conference.
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