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The Detroit Pistons are in the middle of a rebuild and Blake Griffin is an asset in the midst of a complicated picture. The Golden State Warriors know this.
Griffin has averaged just 49 games played over the past five seasons due to various injuries and he's due over $75 million over the next two years. When he plays Griffin is still a great player, last season he made 3rd Team All-NBA on the Pistons, but that's a big if at this point.
On the daily Locked On Pistons Podcast, host Matt Schock discusses trade scenarios involving Blake Griffin including a deal that nets that Pistons the number two overall pick in the 2020 Draft.
Matt Schoch: How about Blake Griffin and the number seven pick, swapping it for number two, moving up in the draft with the Warriors and also getting Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney, the big man from the Warriors what do you think about that deal?
Brian: I like Kevon Looney more than I would like Andrew Wiggins in that deal. Wiggins just hasn't seemed to work out anywhere and I'm not sure that Detroit is somewhere where he can blossom, it looks a lot like the Timberwolves situation in terms of helping his development. As far as Blake goes, you're probably at the lowest end of his value right now (with the Pistons) as far as the perception around the league, coming off on yet another injury. So I think having to give up some assets, like the number seven pick, just to move up to that number two pick I don't see as necessarily being worth it at this point. I don't like anybody at the top end of the draft any more than anyone where the pistons are currently picking, so I would kibosh that one. Just because I don't think that the number two pick is as attractive as it may be in other years.
Matt: I think that Blake Griffin coming out and showing that he's healthy only improves his value as you look towards the trade deadline or possibly next summer. The other side of the coin is what's the worst-case scenario, he's washed, and he doesn't help you out anymore? That means that you're basically pulling a tank at that point anyway. I'm not someone who's necessarily pro tank, but if you're going to lose, and you're going to be really bad it's not the worst thing in the world to have Blake Griffin on the bench and injured if it's just for two more years. If that's a worst-case scenario (for the Pistons), I'd rather roll the dice and take that chance, as opposed to trading him and then seeing his value go up over these next couple of years, especially as it becomes an expiring contract next offseason.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2S9XzboCxMf5DXr3pKLQp4?si=shPSQVpnS6eGIo1RLUqPdw
