The Detroit Pistons have been party to a number of unceremonious breakups in recent history.
Perhaps most notably was waiving Josh Smith in 2014 just a year after inking a 4-year, $54 million deal. Detroit used the stretch provision on Smith, paying him $5.3 annually until 2020 to cover the rest of his contract.
Like chocolate on a white shirt, the Smith deal was an inescapable stain. His cap hit hamstrung a cap-needy team and was illustrative of long-standing front office ineptitude.
Then-president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy didn’t initially sign Smith. But the mishandling of the deal and Smith’s poor on-court performance set the tone for how Van Gundy’s tenure with the Detroit Pistons would be characterized: mediocre and rudderless.
As had been the case for a while, Detroit was a place where talented players went to fizzle out.
In less than three years, Van Gundy’s footprint on the organization was almost entirely erased except for one final piece. On Monday afternoon, however, that changed.
Detroit Pistons: The Blake Griffin era is officially over
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Detroit Pistons and Blake Griffin mutually decided that the six-time All Star would sit until a trade or a buyout agreement was reached. Once that is completed, no players from the 2018 roster will be on the team by the March 25 trade deadline.
The move comes in light of Griffin’s desire to win while his career twilights rather than play for a rebuilding franchise. For Detroit, they would like to minimize the burden of the remainder of Griffin’s mammoth deal — including a $39 million player option next season.
With Griffin’s imminent departure, the Pistons can finally close the book on the Van Gundy era.
The man to thank for this speedy transition into a more organically-built roster is general manager Troy Weaver. The Detroit job, handicapped by bloated salaries and a smaller market, was not a desirable opening. But Weaver has made quick work to build a contender down the road.
In just a few months, the Pistons have drafted three rookies that appear to be part of a future core. The signings of Jerami Grant, Josh Jackson, and Mason Plumlee have already realized great value that inspires confidence in future free agent deals. And Weaver made tough choices to get rid of respected veterans in Griffin and Derrick Rose.
Detroit, for the first time in a long time, has a clear plan that goes through youthfulness and the draft.
Blake Griffin and Josh Smith, of course, are different players that different decision-makers dealt with. Smith had more time left on his deal and was released for not playing at expectations. Weaver’s urgency to move Griffin stems from an organizational plan and honoring goodwill he has amassed.
The last two seasons may be how Pistons fans remember Griffin the most. A Van Gundy relic that couldn’t stay on the court and garnered only one playoff appearance. For all of Detroit’s failures, though, Griffin was hardly to blame.
In other words, this breakup is not the unceremonious type that was so prevalent in the past.
In the lone playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks, Griffin missed the first two games with knee soreness but returned to play despite an inevitable series loss.
In his first full season with Detroit, Griffin played himself into an All-Star nod and gave a city long needing a superstar some superman performances.
He has obviously been hurting for the past two seasons, but still willed himself onto the court when the Pistons had little shot at a playoff berth.
Griffin’s departure should be a celebration not only as a clean break from the woes of the previous regime, but as someone who came to Detroit via Los Angeles and still embodied the city’s culture.
Moving on from Griffin has seemed obvious for some time, but what it represents is much more profound. The roster, sooner than anyone expected, will fully belong to Weaver free from past mistakes.
A lot of work remains, but so far, so good.