In early February, the Los Angeles Clippers undeniably completed a trade that would shape their future. They traded their superstar Blake Griffin to the Pistons. Although trades are customary in the league today, there are a few reasons why Griffin's trade was significant.
To begin, Griffin claimed that he had no idea that he would be traded. These sorts of things are demoralizing, especially to a superstar player like Griffin. Second, the Clippers went all in to sign the coveted power forward during the off-season. They gave him a max contract and decided to suddenly part ways with him at the middle of the season. Therefore, there is definitely somewhat of an awkward vibe between Griffin and the Clippers, no matter how much both parties try to deny it.
In a loss to the Clippers on Friday night, Griffin left the arena quickly without shaking the hands of his former teammates.
Article Continues BelowBlake had no time for handshakes after the loss to his former team pic.twitter.com/4cjVqqY0Cv
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 10, 2018
There could be many reasons for why Griffin didn't interact with his former teammates. Firstly, Griffin was the one that was traded by the Clippers. Of course, he probably wanted to beat them on his home floor. Instead, the Pistons lost 95-108. Griffin scored 19 points, 6 assists, and 8 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to defeat his former team.
Another reason why Griffin could have ignored the Clippers is because of the way he was traded. Normally, players aren't quick to point out their animosity toward their former teams. Still, it's likely that Griffin is still upset about how the whole transaction was handled by the Clippers. In any case, the Pistons are right now on the brink of making the postseason. Hopefully, Griffin can put his feeling behind him and lead his team to the playoffs.