Someone had to pull the trigger and be the first to make a blockbuster move prior to the NBA trade deadline that is set for Feb. 8th. The Los Angeles Clippers decided to part ways with their star PF Blake Griffin in a trade that sent him alongside the big man Willie Reed and the not-so-much used forward Brice Johnson to the Detroit Pistons. In return, the Clippers received forward Tobias Harris, center Boban Marjanovic, and guard Avery Bradley. In addition, the Clips got a 2018 first-round pick and a 2019 second-round pick.
To be honest, many of us have expected some changes to be made in the Clippers roster, especially after the organization decided to trade guard Chris Paul last summer and started tearing apart the core of the team. Griffin, who will turn 29 years of age in March, was selected as the 1st pick overall in the 2009 Draft by the Clippers and has spent his entire NBA career with the same team averaging 21.6 ppg, 9.3 rpg and 4.2 apg in 504 regular season games played for the Clippers.
The Clippers owner Steve Ballmer said in a statement following the trade: “Blake Griffin had a tremendous impact on this organization and his legacy within the community of Los Angeles will be permanent. It was a pleasure getting to know and cheer for Blake. I wish him, as well as Brice and Willie, the best of luck.”
This is certainly a huge deal for the Clippers organization, but it may not be the last one in the coming days. According to some rumors, the Clips center DeAndre Jordan and guard Lou Williams might be the next players on the trade block. Namely, both Jordan and Williams have been in contract extension talks with the organization, but so far have failed to come to an agreement.
Are the Clippers done trading?
As noted before, Jordan is the only player left from the Paul-Griffin-Jordan era that lasted for the last 6 years and that brought a lot of success and excitement to the organization, but it seems that the Clips are focused on rebuilding their team, which means that his days might be counted as well, unless he decides to exercise the $24.1 million player option for the next season, and then enters the free-agency or signs a contract extension. Either way, we will keep an eye on the Clippers in the upcoming days and see if they pull another trade deal.
Why is the Blake Griffin trade actually good for the Clippers?
Many might not agree with me on this, but I honestly think that as much as Griffin is talented and considered one of the top PF in the league, that trading him will actually make the Clippers better. He is a scoring machine and a player that can bring the house down with his out-of-this-world dunks, but at the same time, he is a player that is plagued with injuries that caused him to miss too many important games (missed both of the last two Clippers playoffs series). Not to mention that he just signed a 5-year, $171 million contract extension last summer and that he is set to make a staggering $39 million in the 2021-2022 season. Considering the numerous serious injuries he has been dealing with in the past, no one can guarantee that he will be a player worth that much money in the coming seasons. Trading him was a good move and on top of that, the Clips have created $1.6 million in payroll space, sending out about $32 million in payrolls for Griffin, Reed, and Johnson, while taking in around $30.6 million of payroll for Bradley, Harris, and Marjanovic.
On the other side, bringing in Tobias Harris, 25, who averaged a career-best 18.1 ppg and 5.1 rpg with the Pistons, and Avery Bradley, 27, who is considered as one of the best one-on-one defenders in the league, will certainly bring more stability on both ends of the floor. Combine these two with Milos Teodosic, DeAndre Jordan (if he sticks past the trade deadline), and Lou Williams, you still have a well-balanced unit on the floor that is capable of winning games and catching one of the play-off spots. Not to forget Danilo Gallinari, who is set to make his return in the coming days and Austin Rivers, both players that should share a significant load of playing time and bring a nice contribution on both ends of the floor.
What Comes Next for the Clippers?
Although the Clips will not be able to attract the top NBA stars by selling them the idea of pairing them with Griffin and creating another super-team in the West, the fact that they have created a lot of potential cap space and still have a roster capable of making the playoffs is more than enough to be an attractive destination once the free agency knocks on the door this summer. Many speculations are already circling around that LeBron James is the main target this summer and that the Clippers will make a strong push to attract the King to join them. Paul George and Klay Thompson have also been linked with a move to the City of Angels, but the coming days and months will certainly give us more answers to these questions.
Stay tuned for more updates and NBA trades in the coming days!!!
