Detroit Pistons: Pros and cons of potentially trading Blake Griffin

Con: The Potential Cost

If health weren’t an issue, the Detroit Pistons would be able to trade Blake Griffin for an intriguing collection of assets. He’s one of the most offensively gifted players in the NBA, as well as a player who has proven capable of leading multiple teams to the Playoffs.

Due to the fact that Griffin has a history of injuries, however, the Pistons may end up losing more than they gain by trading their resident six-time All-Star.

If Detroit can flip Griffin for some combination of draft picks, cap space, and promising young talent, one could call that a win. If the Pistons must include their own draft picks in order to simply clear cap space, however, it’d be hard to sell fans on that vision.

Detroit wouldn’t have much to offer potential free agents in terms of established talent without Griffin, especially with Derrick Rose only having one more season remaining on his deal.

Thus, the question beckons: Is two seasons of a costly Griffin deal worth losing out on potential lottery picks? Even if Griffin does play well enough to push Detroit out of the lottery, there are young players on the roster who would benefit from postseason experience.

If it proves to be the case that the Pistons would need to part with valuable assets just to trade a player with two seasons remaining on this contract, however, it would be difficult to justify that move.

Patience may be frustrating, but it can also pay off—in more ways than one.