NBA Trade Rumors: Blake Griffin among the players that the Detroit Pistons are willing to trade
What's the rumor?
The Detroit Pistons currently sit 9th in the Eastern Conference with a 16-28 record, and it appears increasingly unlikely that the team will make the postseason. Following another disappointing season, the Pistons are known to be actively looking to trade Andre Drummond, and Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports believes that the team would also be willing to offload Blake Griffin:
Detroit is about as close to having an 'Everything Must Go' sale as there is in the NBA. Andre Drummond has been on the trade market for a month. Derrick Rose and Markieff Morris could help several contenders. The Pistons would even move Blake Griffin
In case you didn't know...
Griffin was selected as the first overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers back in 2009, and the power forward went on to establish as a key part of LA's 'Lob City' era. Griffin was a regular All-Star between 2011 and 2015, although the Oklahoma native struggled with injuries during his final years with the Clippers before being traded to the Pistons in January 2018.
During his first full season in Detroit, Griffin averaged a career-high 24.5 points per contest as he returned to the All-Star Game for the first time since 2015. However, Griffin has averaged just 15.5 points and 4.7 rebounds over 18 appearances this season, and the 30-year-old could miss the rest of the season due to injury.
The heart of the matter
The addition of a healthy Griffin would be a huge boost for a playoff-chasing team, although the veteran is sidelined indefinitely, and he notably struggled for form during his limited time on the court earlier this season. Additionally, Griffin is owed more than $75 million over the next two seasons, and even if the Pistons are eager to offload the forward - it appears unlikely that they will be successful in finding a suitor.
What's next?
The Pistons will be back in action on Wednesday night as they take on the Sacramento Kings.