Detroit Pistons: Is the Blake Griffin era over in the Motor City?

The Detroit Pistons and Blake Griffin could be headed in different directions depending on the path that the organization ends up taking.

Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin has had an injury-filled journey during his time in the Motor City. As a result, the Pistons have not met the expectations that they envisioned with Griffin headlining their roster and now seem poised to shift toward a rebuild in Detroit.

Before the 2019-20 NBA season was indefinitely suspended, the Pistons had a poor record of 20-46, 13th in the Eastern Conference.

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However, Griffin only appeared in 15 of those games due to injury.

During that 15-game stretch, he averaged 15.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists on 35.2 percent from the floor and just 24.3 percent from 3-point range.

Griffin was not himself in his short stint this season after being bothered by continuous setbacks stemming from a re-aggravation of his surgically-repaired left knee.

While the organization was hoping for another playoff appearance after getting swept by the Milwaukee Bucks as the No. 8 seed last season, it looks as if that window has closed.

There will most likely be no postseason for the Pistons this year no matter if or how the season returns since they’re 10.5 games behind the Orlando Magic for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.

In addition, it could be a long wait for Detroit to make a return to the playoffs due to the assembled roster that they currently have combined with the increased competitiveness emerging in the Eastern Conference.

The Pistons have already shipped out long-time center Andre Drummond via trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers and bought out Reggie Jackson and Markieff Morris, both of whom ended up signing with LA clubs, with Jackson going to the LA Clippers and Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers.

They are left with veterans Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose officially locked in under contract for next season along with a promising young core that includes Luke Kennard, Sekou Doumbouya, Bruce Brown, and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk.

It seems as if the Pistons have reshaped their focus to rebuilding, and I believe that is the correct decision to make in this situation.

They should completely shift their focus on developing their young players and think about the future rather than continuing the pursuit of becoming a win-now team.

This upcoming offseason will be an important start to beginning the rebuild process.

How the Detroit Pistons can embark on this rebuild

Detroit will be preparing for a lottery pick in the NBA Draft and will have many decisions to make in free agency, including doing everything in their power to try and retain forward Christian Wood, who will become a popular unrestricted free agent.

The organization will be faced with many questions regarding what to do with their roster and how they plan to rebuild if they decide to head in that direction, but the biggest question will be centered around the idea of trading Blake Griffin.

Griffin will have two years left on his contract after this season.

• 2020-21: $36.5 million
• 2021-22: $38.9 million (player option)

The Pistons will have to decide if holding onto Griffin and his large contract is worth it. An argument could be made that he can help develop or mentor the young core while at least still trying to make a run at the playoffs in the foreseeable future.

Nevertheless, I personally don’t think it would be worth it. I would argue that the Pistons should trade Griffin while he still holds high value.

He has recently stated that he is ready to get back on the court, and I still believe that he has the capabilities of an All-Star despite his previous history of injuries.

Griffin belongs on a win-now team in a winning environment with his unique skill set and valuable contributions. People forget that Griffin was an All-Star averaging 24.5 points per game and made the All-NBA Third Team in 2018-19.

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In my opinion, he was the most underrated player during the 2018-19 season.

If the Detroit Pistons do indeed opt to rebuild their team and focus on the future, I believe they should part ways with Blake Griffin in hopes of acquiring more promising young talent in return while they still can.

Even though Griffin can still provide value in Detroit, I think the better option would be trading him to a win-now team if the right offer is on the table. It would be best for both Griffin and the Pistons organization moving forward.

The question that could then begin to surface would be what teams would be willing to trade for Blake Griffin and take on the remainder of his hefty contract?

Any team that would presumably have interest in Griffin would most likely have to be a team that is trying to raise their postseason competitiveness and not rebuilding.

What might a trade look like?

An example of a possible trade could feature the Orlando Magic.

• Magic acquire Blake Griffin
• Pistons receive Aaron Gordon, Wesley Iwundu (sign-and-trade), Al-Farouq Aminu

Orlando is currently a playoff team that may want to get more serious by taking the next step toward becoming a title contender. I wouldn’t be surprised if they parted ways with 24-year-old Aaron Gordon, especially if it means bringing in Blake Griffin.

I think Detroit should welcome a trade like this if it involves receiving young players (Gordon and Iwundu) in return that would help toward the future.

Maybe another idea could include the Detroit Pistons dealing Griffin to the Indiana Pacers for a package involving 24-year-old Myles Turner, but the Pacers, like most teams, could think that it’s not worth the risk.

Of course, there’s the possibility that there could end up being no suitors for a potential Griffin trade since teams may fear his past history of injuries or think that he’s transitioning out of his prime. His contract would also play a massive factor in any possible deals.

There are risks centered around Blake Griffin, but if the Pistons eventually find themselves a reasonable offer for him that helps shape their rebuild, I believe they should take action.

As the Detroit Pistons seem to be shifting toward a rebuild, it’s possible the Blake Griffin era could already be drawing close to an end in Motor City.