Pistons Notes: Griffin, Trade Deadline, Drummond, Wood

The Pistons got a relatively healthy season and a half out of Blake Griffin after the surprising trade that brought him to Detroit in January of 2018, but now they’re experiencing the “worst-case scenario” part of that deal, writes James Edwards III of The Athletic. Knee soreness has limited Griffin to 18 games this season as the Pistons are off to a 12-22 start that has them stuck in 11th place in the East. He’s posting career lows with 15.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, along with a .352 shooting percentage.

Griffin’s health issues made him a risky investment, but the bigger gamble was the huge contract he signed with the Clippers a few months before the deal. After making nearly $34.5MM this year, Griffin is owed $36.8MM in 2020/21 and has a $38.95MM player option the following season. That deal makes him extremely difficult to trade and presents an impediment for an organization that may be thinking about rebuilding.

Management rolled the dice on Griffin because they thought he would turn the Pistons into a perennial playoff team. However, Edwards notes that they were restricted from adding more talent because Griffin, Andre Drummond, Reggie Jackson and Jon Leuer combined for about $80MM in cap room when the trade was completed and all had more than a year left on their contracts.

There’s more from Detroit:

  • It will be difficult for the Pistons to move any of their large contracts before next month’s trade deadline, predicts Keith Langlois of NBA.com. With everyone except the Hawks over the cap, Langlois doesn’t expect any deals that will help a team take a significant amount of salary off its books. Detroit will have more flexibility this summer when Jackson’s contract expires and Drummond may opt out of his $28.75MM salary for next season.
  • Any championship window the Pistons may have had with their current roster is rapidly closing, observes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Even though the front office brought in some help this summer by adding Derrick Rose, Markieff Morris and Tim Frazier, it hasn’t been enough to overcome injuries. Beard believes Langston Galloway and Rose would be the most attractive pieces if Detroit decides to become sellers at the deadline.
  • Christian Wood‘s future in Detroit will be tied to Drummond’s decision on his player option, Beard adds in the same piece. Wood will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and it’s unclear how much the Pistons would be willing to give him to continue in a backup role. However, he would be an option as a starter if Drummond opts out and signs elsewhere.
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