It's no secret that Monday's trade of star power forward Blake Griffin from the L.A. Clippers to the Detroit Pistons came as a huge surprise to a lot of people, including Mr. Griffin himself. For a player of his caliber, he joined former Sacramento Kings star power forward Chris Webber as the only two players ever to be traded midseason despite averaging a stat line of at least 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game.
With a tweet on Tuesday afternoon, ESPN Stats & Info discovered that Griffin's 2018 season with the Clippers and Webber's 2005 season with the Kings were the only ones to average such an impressive stat line only to be traded in the middle of the year.
Blake Griffin joined Chris Webber as the only NBA players to be traded midseason while averaging 20 PPG, 7 RPG & 5 APG (via @EliasSports). pic.twitter.com/c3VWn2POeG
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 30, 2018
Before Webber was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in February of 2005, the five-time NBA All-Star was averaging 21.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game in 46 contests with Sacramento.
On Tuesday, the 28-year-old Griffin followed up with a statement about his time with the Clippers after he was selected No. 1 overall back in the 2009 NBA Draft.
“Needed a night to digest and reflect on what happened,” Griffin tweeted. “From being a #1 pick to Lob City, to six straight playoff appearances, I am so proud to have been part of the success of the Clippers organization. LA has been my home since I started in the league and I will be forever grateful to the city for embracing me and supporting me. To the fans, you have been awesome every step of the way. Thank you for your years of support. Now I'm ready for the next chapter, getting to work and helping the Detroit Pistons make a run in the Eastern Conference.”
Griffin is inactive for tonight's primetime game against the Cleveland Cavaliers and is listed as questionable for Thursday's contest versus the Memphis Grizzlies.
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