Five Transactions that Explain the Current Detroit Pistons

4. The Detroit Pistons trade Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, Avery Bradley, a 2018 first round Pick, and a 2019 second round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for Blake Griffin, Willie Reed, and Brice Johnson.

In the 2017-18 season, Pistons president and head coach Stan Van Gundy was on the hot seat. After constructing the Pistons to his liking, Detroit only made one playoff appearance in his tenure (which resulted in being swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers).

It was widely believed that the Pistons have massively underachieved, as the Pistons had the most talent and promise on their roster since 2008 when they last won a playoff game.

Stan Van Gundy realized the only way he could save his job and generate excitement in Detroit was by trading for a superstar, and the only player that was on the market was Clippers forward Blake Griffin.

Griffin had signed a five year 173 million dollar contract in the summer, so Detroit was getting four and a half years of an all star forward that could change the trajectory of the Pistons franchise.

The only problem, however, was that he has had an injury history with only one season his entire career where he played 82 games. Griffin’s addition to the Pistons in the 2017-18 season was not enough to push them into the playoffs, as Griffin was not one hundred percent physically and did not make the impact that Detroit believed he could.

This would cost Stan Van Gundy his position in Detroit. After a disappointing finish to the 2017-18 season, Griffin was able to train a full summer healthy for the first time in years, and he came back playing at an elite level. He averaged 24.5 points per game (a career high) and earned his all star appearance since the 2014-15 season.

Griffin’s health, however, was declining as the season went on and he played in the Pistons playoff series on a torn meniscus. He had arthroscopic knee surgery in the offseason, and came back as a shell of himself in the 2019-20 season. He played in 18 games averaging 15.5 points per game, and was sidelined afterwards with another surgery to his knee.

There are serious questions of whether or not Blake Griffin will be the same player again, and with two years left on his contract being owed 74 million dollars, there is serious doubt that the Pistons can move his contract.

Griffin is a beloved player in Detroit, but there is some serious possible buyers remorse by the Pistons from a financial standpoint.