The Clippers have traded forward Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons for guard Avery Bradley, forward Tobias Harris and center Boban Marjanovic, according to several NBA executives who were not authorized to speak publicly on the deal.
Griffin, a five-time All-Star, has spent his entire eight-year NBA career with the Clippers, since they selected him first overall at the 2009 NBA Draft. The 28-year-old signed a five-year, $173 million deal last July.
The trade is a win-now move for the Pistons, who are pairing Griffin with young, standout center Andre Drummond. The Pistons (22-26) are currently on the fringes of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, and sit three games behind the Philadelphia 76ers for the eighth and final playoff spot.
Griffin, 28, was drafted by the Clippers with the first overall pick in 2008, and made five All-Star teams during his tenure. Injuries have largely defined Griffin’s career –he hasn’t played in 70 games since the ’13-’14 — but is having a nice season thusfar, averaging 22.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in 2017.
The Clippers (25-24) have struggled with injuries all season, and gain some much needed depth in the trade, but also have an outside chance of making the playoffs, sitting just a game behind the Nuggets for the eighth and final spot.
For the Clippers, Bradley is considered one of the best all-around guards in the NBA. He is averaging 15 points per game. He is in the last year of his deal that pays him $8.8 million (U.S.). He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Harris is averaging 18.1 points per game and 5.1 rebounds.
The trade serves as a mid-season reset for both teams, but it sounds like the Clippers aren't yet done dealing - Wojnarowski also reports that Los Angeles will continue to "pursue packages of young players and picks" as they look to deal DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams before the deadline.
