NBA Trade Grades: Blake Griffin is headed to the Detroit Pistons

The NBA Trade Deadline got off to an early, and shocking start. Reports are that the Los Angeles Clippers have agreed to a deal that will send Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons.

The Clippers have had a rocky season, beset by injuries as usual. As they began sliding before the holidays it seemed increasingly likely that they would explore the trade market. However, most of the rumors centered around DeAndre Jordan or fringe pieces like Lou Williams. Sending out Blake Griffin, and his newly minted five-year, $173 million contract seemed out of the question — both because of what he meant to the franchise and the unlikelihood of finding a willing partner.

However, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news that the Clippers have found that partner in the Detroit Pistons. Here’s the trade as reported so far:

Los Angeles Clippers

There were stretches this season where everyone was healthy and the Clippers looked good enough to settle in the middle of the Western Conference pack. A break or two, a resurgent Blake, and perhaps a free agent addition this summer might have been enough to catapult them back into fringe contender status. However, the fact that those stretches were so far and few between, and, perhaps, Griffin’s continued struggles to stay on the court, may have been too much to stomach.

It’s hard to tell where the Clippers go from here. This could be the prelude to a massive tear-down with Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley and DeAndre Jordan both heading out in the next few weeks and the team declining to throw big bucks at Avery Bradley when he hits free agency this summer, to clear space on their cap sheet. In that scenario, the departure of Doc Rivers also seems like a strong possibility.

It’s possible that the Clippers could keep Jordan, re-sign Williams and Bradley, hope Harris continues to blossom and try the not-quite-rebuilding path. But going that route doesn’t seem any more likely to yield success than ripping it down to the studs. The Clippers got a reasonable return for an oft-injured Griffin, and a discouraging return for the fringe MVP candidate he’s played like when healthy. What they do with their other veteran pieces will put these new assets in context and determine if they are better off or not.

Grade: C 

Detroit Pistons

Talk about swinging for the fences. The Pistons also started the season strongly but have faded over the past few weeks. It seemed increasingly likely that some significant changes were coming but this is a curious move. Griffin is insanely talented but the Pistons have assumed the big risk (and the biggest possible reward) in the deal by taking on his enormous contract. When healthy he’s a franchise player and he could be the centerpiece of a new Pistons era.

Next: The Encyclopedia of Modern Moves

The problem is that building around Griffin may necessitate some further moves as well. Andre Drummond has excelled this year, mostly by playing more around the elbows, using his face-up game, finding cutters and keeping the offense flowing with dribble hand-offs. That’s the exact area of the floor and the role in which Griffin has been most effective. Drummond has some similarities to DeAndre Jordan but he’s not as good as Jordan at the things Jordan does will — protecting the rim and rolling to the basket. Playing him next to Blake may mean he gets to do less of the things that have helped him be more successful this year.

The bottom line is that if Blake is healthy he’s well worth the risk here. Obviously the Clippers weren’t interested in taking that risk any longer, which kind of undercuts an assessment of the value the Pistons are receiving.

Grade: C+