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It has only been a couple of years, but the Detroit Pistons could be just about ready to give up on the Blake Griffin Project. At the moment his trade value is low and there’s a sense around the league that the Pistons would need to attach an asset or two for someone to take him off their hands, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic.
According to a few NBA executives, it would be impossible for Detroit to indulge in a full-scale rebuild with Griffin’s contract still on the books. Yet attaching assets to unload Griffin would further stall the team's rebuild, preventing the Pistons from getting some new blood into their system.
Griffin signed a humongous five-year, $173 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers only six months before he was shipped to the Pistons, who now owe him $34.2 million this season and $36.6 million the next.
The 6-foot-10 forward also has a $38.9 million player option for 2021-22, one he would be sure to take, especially if his value continues trending down as it has the past few years.
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Griffin is in a similar same predicament as Kevin Love with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but perhaps even worse, considering he makes more than Love in a yearly basis and is just as old as his sharpshooting counterpart.
The Oklahoma native traded otherworldly athleticism and showstopping dunks for a jump shot, a tradeoff that hasn't really panned out for his career. Griffin became more adept at shooting 3-pointers at the start of the 2016-17 season, but he's yet to have great success with it.
While it has prolonged his lifetime in the league, it has evaporated his all-around efficiency, now no longer dominant in any aspect of the game.
He posted career-high numbers last season, which resulted in his first All-Star nod in four years, but he's struggled in all facets this season, including injuries — averaging a measly 15.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists through 18 games.
At this point, executives look at Griffin as an overpaid, underachieving player — one they'd only haul in if the Pistons were willing to attach some draft compensations to make it worth their while.
