Detroit Pistons: A trade for Russell Westbrook (with no Blake Griffin)

Would this trade work for the Detroit Pistons?

The Pistons would be adding $21.4 million in salary with this trade as is, with Westbrook’s incoming $41.3 million subtracting Tony Snell and Derrick Rose’s $19.7 million in combined salaries.

With the Pistons possibly looking to draft a point guard or grab one in free agency, they could maximize the value of Rose’s expiring contract, while getting themselves out of having to figure out playing Westbrook and Rose together. While Blake Griffin is likely to be more of an off-ball threat thanks to his emergent 3-point shooting abilities, Rose is basically only impactful with the ball in his hands.

That doesn’t work on a team with Russell Westbrook.

Griffin and Russ could actually be a surprisingly good duo, at least in the regular season. The modern-day inside-outside punch, with Westbrook being the inside and Griffin being the outside, might be a lethal attack until crunch time hits in the playoffs and defenses are better and more able to take away what they like to do.

In addition, the Pistons acquire the earliest first-round pick the Rockets can send, a top-five protected 2022 pick. They also get this year’s second-round pick swap via the Philadelphia 76ers and the Rockets’ 2024 second-round pick.

On the downside, Westbrook’s contract runs a year longer than Blake Griffin’s.

This trade is not ideal, but it could work for the Detroit Pistons, especially when draft assets become factored in.